Follow Your Heart
by SaraNomed
Summary: The long-awaited sequel to 'Listen to Your Heart' is finally here! As the mis-adventures of LtYH end, the real trials are just beginning. Where to go when you've made a name for yourself the world over? And what to do when another team member is thrown into the mix? That white tomorrow is close, but maybe not quite here yet. Rated M for sex, language and sensitive topics.
1. Not So Heroic

The midday sun shimmered off the wings of the landing plane as it touched down on the runway, the tires on it's landing gear squealing lightly. Coming to a stop, the stairs were lowered and it's passengers scrambled off in an orderly chaos, grabbing their waiting luggage, greeting loved ones, or just trying to get their bearings. Near the back of the crowd, two human passengers and their Pokemon quietly picked up what luggage they had and starting picking their way through the throng as they made their way into the airport terminal. No one greeted them. No one seemed to even notice them, which suited them just fine. Passing through the large, sliding glass doors above which the words "Welcome to Goldenrod City" were printed in gleaming gold times, they made their way to an empty row of benches in a quiet back corner and dropped their luggage before flopping onto said benches.

They were silent for a minute before Jessie spoke up, "Well. Here we are."

A little over a week earlier, the trio were sitting in James and Persian's tiny cabin, Jessie pacing behind James as he sat on the couch with his laptop and tapped away at the keys, a look of concentration on his face. That concentration was broken, however, when Jessie again leaned over his shoulder to peer at the screen.

"Well?!" she asked.

He paused mid-word and tilted his head back to look at her with a sigh, "For the fifth time Jessie; no. It's not _that_ easy to break into encoded police records, you know."

"But you always made it _look_ easy."

Going back to typing he said, "I haven't done this for a while. Excuse me for being a bit rusty. I'm almost in, I think..."

"You're certainly up to par in other areas, I've discovered." she purred into his ear, enjoying the shade of red his face swiftly turned.

He paused yet again and coughed, "If you want me to hurry, stop distracting me!"

A rough voice from above them chimed in, "Yeah Jess! Ah'm curious ta know too!"

Persian stood and stretched, slinking down the short ladder leading from the lower floor to the loft sleeping area where he had been napping and sunning himself.

He hopped onto the couch next to James, "...Well?"

Ignoring his feline friend, James continued his efforts, "Almost got it..." he suddenly clapped his hands, "We're in! Okay, let's see now..."

It was couple days after their accidental take-down of the plot involving their former teammates and Team Aqua, and after several unsuccessful attempts to badger Officer Deryl for information (to the point where the man had threatened to arrest them for harassment of an officer-only half seriously, they had hoped), the curiosity became too much and the trio had decided to take matters into their own hands. Thus James had been spending the better part of a half-hour trying to break into the local police department's computer system for the answers they sought.

He muttered half to himself, skimming over the typical, mundane roster of illicit activity, from public drunkenness and indecency to petty theft before finally coming upon what they were looking for.

"Sonuva-!" he yelped, eyes widening, "You guys are going to want to hear this..."

Jessie and Persian swiftly gathered close as James began to read the reports aloud, "Thursday night, a number of members of the organized crime syndicates known as Team Rocket and Team Aqua, along with several leaders of the aforementioned groups, were arrested on suspicion of possession of illegal cargo and counterfeit money, along with intent to trade said goods for the purpose of profit and continued trade. Huh. Looks like they were working together to fund and divvy up all those Pokeballs for their own purposes."

"Where does it mention us?" wondered Persian.

Jessie grinned, "Where's the part where we heroically confronted them?!"

James waved a hand impatiently, "Hold on, hold on! I'm getting to that..." his eyes scanned the rest of the long, detailed report before they fell upon another important tidbit, "...several members of both gangs evaded arrest and are still at large. Several others were killed when they refused to surrender peacefully and subsequently fired upon the officers present. Among those killed are..." he swallowed hard, "Captain Arnold L. Brinks, decorated military member and leader of the high-altitude base and research facility Fort Johton for the past fifteen years..."

The trio looked at each other, Jessie clenching her fists, simultaneously relishing the fact he was dead and at the same time feeling slightly queasy over the fact she was actually happy at another human being's violent death. Sensing this, James reached out and brushed his hand across her cheek with an understanding nod.

Continuing along, James read, "...although the pieces are yet to be fully analyzed, from initial studies it appears that the purpose of these experimental Pokeballs is to capture and essentially 'brain-wash' any target Pokemon, increasing their aggression levels and..."

He trailed off as both humans glanced at Persian, remembering how after he had only briefly been inside one of them his personality had been completely subjugated, becoming vicious and forgetting who he was as well as them. The cat Pokemon's ears drooped slightly as he guessed their thoughts, and Jessie gently scratched him under his chin, flashing him a sympathetic smile.

Going back to the report, James continued farther down the page, "Ah! Here we are! ...Two local citizens, two humans and their Persian 'mascot', who identify themselves only as 'Jenny' and 'Jacob' and claim to be 'superheroes', provided the information leading to the arrest of the suspects. As such they have been granted the standing reward money for the above-mentioned information...hey!"

"What?" asked Jessie.

James folded his arms and huffed, "That's it! That's the only information on us! And after everything we did!"

"Dat's not fair!" Persian protested.

Jessie shook her head, "Talk about ingratitude! We risked our lives and all we get is a foot-note! That's the 'right' side of the law for you, I guess."

Stretching his aching shoulders, James said flatly, "That was a lot of work for nothing."

"Speakin' a' woik, when we gonna get dis business venture a' ours of te ground-literally?" asked Persian.

With a casual flick of her hand, Jessie replied as she walked to the kitchen area, "Oh, we've got plenty of money and plenty of time. Let's hit the carnival again today! I want to win a-"

A sudden, sharp knock at the door startled them and caused them all to jump. Growing impatient as he waited for them to do something, Persian finally padded over to the door upon the second round of knocks and reached with his front paws to open it.

To their further surprise, Officer Deryl stood in the doorway, "Morning, heroes. May I come in?"

As quickly but nonchalantly as possible, James snapped the laptop shut and slid it onto the crate coffee-table before standing, "Oh! Um, hi officer! G-good morning! Sure, come in!"

He did so, shutting the door behind him and taking a seat at the dining table, "Well, how's it going?"

Something about this visit felt slightly off, but Jessie tried to brush the notion aside as she cheerfully answered, "G-great! We were just finishing breakfast and talking about our plans for the day! Can we get you some coffee?"

Deryl waved a hand, "I've already had enough to keep me awake for a week, but thanks."

Jessie slipped over to the couch, catching James' eye as she sat down with her own coffee mug and hissing softly, _"You put your actual address on those forms?!"_

James shrugged and mouthed back, _"I couldn't think of a fake one fast enough okay?!"_

Joining his human friends, Persian asked their guest, "So what's wit dis unexpected visit?"

Deryl's eye-brows shot up, "Sonuvabitch! I wasn't imagining things! You _can_ talk. That's...remarkable, actually."

"Why tank you! I know I am!" Persian puffed out his chest.

Clearing his throat, Deryl rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward slightly, "I'm here for a couple reasons. One was honestly just to say hello and see how you were doing, probably thank you again for helping us nab those guys. So, thanks."

"Just another day for us!" said James, still keeping up their facade.

"Secondly, I was curious to know if you guys had any plans for that reward money."

Jessie quickly piped up, "We were thinking a vacation, somewhere nice, you know? After that, maybe start our own shop! That'd be cool!"

"Very cool!" added James.

Deryl nodded slowly. Finally his face hardened, and Jessie felt her stomach sink, thinking that maybe she had been right after all.

Exhaling loudly, Deryl ran a hand through his short brown hair, slight streaks of gray beginning to show, "Lastly...I really need to talk to you, Jenny and Jacob...or should I say, Jessie and James?"

A pin drop would have been loud in the silence that followed. The trio froze, unsure of whether to deny it, run, or just sit and wait to see what Deryl's next move would be. Jessie tightened her grip on her mug, ready to bash him across the head and make a break for it if they needed to.

All manner of friendliness gone, Deryl stared them down, "I did a little digging. Turns out that Rocket was right about you lot. I was surprised, believe me," he leaned back a little, knowing he had them trapped for the moment, "I'm none too happy about it. But you know what's weird? I'm not sure if I'm more upset about the fact that you lied to me, or that that jackass was telling the truth. I gotta be honest; I liked you guys. And I don't know why, but I still kind of do."

Finally James dared to speak up, "We um, we-"

Deryl raised a finger and James snapped his mouth shut again, "Don't want to hear it."

He stood, circling the couch and further making them feel trapped, "Here's the deal, my 'heroes'; I ought to arrest you, toss you in a jail cell and let you rot. You've got quite the impressive rep sheet. Multiple accounts of theft, arson, breaking and entering, kidnapping of both people _and_ Pokemon, one count of stalking...it's enough to put you away for quite a while."

Hoping to gain some mercy, or at least time, Persian said, "But we ain't wit dem anymore! We've changed, we-"

Again, Deryl raised a finger to shush him, ignoring what he had said, "On the other hand, there's the fact that without your help, I'm quite certain we would have never caught those guys, and in the scheme of things they were the much bigger fish that needed frying. So, in light of all this, and against my better judgment, not to mention all my training, I'm going to make a deal with you."

"Which is...?" Jessie ventured, still gripping her mug.

Here Deryl's stony composure softened ever so slightly as his gaze flicked between them, "I'm giving you a twenty-four hour head start to get out of here," he glanced at his watch, "Starting now. Pack what you can, do what you must, and get the hell out of my city. I'm going to have the entire force on the lookout for you. If you're still within city limits when that twenty-four hours is up, you're toast. Are we clear?"

The trio only nodded, and Deryl sighed, again running a hand through his already messy hair as he made his way to the door.

Letting himself out, without turning around he paused in the doorway, and before shutting it behind him said, "One last thing...use that reward money wisely. Do something worthwhile, alright? ...Good luck."

They sat perfectly still for several moments, still in shock over what had just happened. Finally they all sprang back to life, scrambling about and trying to pack up as much as they could, panicking and talking over each other.

Stuffing his clothes into a couple suitcases James yelped, "Where are we going to go?!"

"I dunno but it's gotta be far from here!" called Persian as he emptied the contents of their food pantry into several bags.

As she helped him Jessie said, "We can't just get out of this city-we have to get out of this region altogether!"

Pausing, Persian wondered, "But...where we headed? We're probably wanted in every region der is!"

Subconsciously slipping back into her traditional role as leader, Jessie answered firmly, "We'll head back to my apartment in Lilycove and figure things out from there!"

A short time later they had everything that could be easily be transported packed up and ready to go. Jessie and Persian were grabbing the last of it and were stuffing it into her car when James, having tossed the last bags to them, paused in the doorway of the first real home he had known in years. Staring inside, he looked over every nook and cranny, remembering the day he and Persian had first set foot, or paw, inside. It had been a cold, harsh day in early spring when they had signed on with Gus and had been granted this tiny, drafty shack as part of their contract. The pair had worked hard for the next couple months to make it more homely, sealing up cracks and holes, repairing damaged siding and slowly making it their own. He noted the spot where he had crushed his thumb with a hammer while trying to fix a broken board, and Persian had licked his wound until he stopped swearing at it, the spot where they had sealed a former Rattata hole, telling the disgruntled Pokemon they had to move on...he swallowed hard as his eyes fell upon the couch where he and Jessie had made love only a few days ago. Her breathless cries as she rode him to ecstasy rang in his memory. Suddenly her hand fell upon his arm and he was jerked from his reminiscing as he turned to her.

She raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"N-nothing...I just," he looked away, "I'm gonna miss this place. This is, was, my home..."

The profound sadness in his green eyes struck a chord in her heart, as she had been trying to forget that she too was going to have to abandon her apartment, a place she had begun to feel truly attached to.

Squeezing his arm, she said softly, "We'll find another home...we'll make one. Together."

His spirit lifting a bit, he quickly kissed her cheek and said, "You're right. Let's go."


	2. Delays

As they piled into Jessie's rented car, she barely waited for them to buckle their seat belts before stomping the gas pedal and starting to zip away.

They barely got half a block, however, before Persian's eyes suddenly widened and he cried, "STOP! WAIT!"

Jessie slammed the brakes, causing them to lurch forward with James nearly knocking his head off of the dashboard and she spun in her seat intending to ask what was wrong.

"In all de excitement I almost forgot about my friends!" Persian continued before his companions had a chance to question his outburst, "I ain't gonna have a chance ta say goodbye! Dey'll tink I died or am mad at 'em or somethin'."

"Wait-what friends?" asked Jessie, an edge to her voice, impatient to get out of there.

James explained with a slight shake of his head, "The group of wild Meowth and Persian he hangs out with? Remember...?"

"Oh...right," she said, "Well, do you know where they live?"

Persian's ears drooped, "Not really. Dey kinda live all over de place..."

Nodding, James got out of the car and trotted back toward the cabin, Jessie calling after him. A minute later he returned with a wrinkled piece of paper and a pen.

"Alright Persian," he explained, "The best we can do is leave them a note where they'll be sure to find it-you guys usually meet out back, right?"

"Yeah."

James smoothed the piece of paper as much as possible against the roof of the car and said, "Okay pal, tell me what you want to say and I'll write it down."

It was late evening when they finally arrived in Lilycove City. The streets were already thinning as they approached the newer, swanky apartment building where Jessie rented a unit. Zipping into her assigned spot, which was usually empty as she didn't actually own her own car, Jessie jumped out and trotted to the building's entrance, swiftly unlocking the door as her companions admired their surroundings. The building was large and in the newest architectural style, bordered by lush, tall shrubs and impeccable landscaping. The numerous blooms bobbed in the balmy night breeze, their heady scent drifting through the warm air.

"Heh, dis is quite de place, Jess!" said Persian.

Without turning she replied, "And I worked hard to afford it, too. Now c'mon!'

Entering her apartment, Jessie immediately darted for her bedroom, grabbing her suitcase and throwing it on the bed...then paused as she lamented over what clothes to pack and what to leave. James and Persian made themselves comfortable, Persian nosing around the apartment before stepping outside to enjoy the view from her balcony. James almost immediately settled himself on the couch, flipping open his laptop and furiously tapping in commands.

A short time later, Jessie emerged, dragging her over-stuffed suitcase and upon seeing James asked, "What are you up to?"

Without looking up he said, "Research-on us."

"Oh?"

He finally glanced up from his work as Persian sauntered back into the room and sighed, "I've been going through regional police records and looking for mentions of us to try and find the safest place for us to head to. We're still wanted, sadly, from here to Kalos. Kanto is too close to Team Rocket headquarters for comfort...so that leaves us-"

"With Johto." Jessie concluded.

Persian cocked his head, "But what about all de trouble we caused dere?"

James smiled at him, "According to the records, we are officially listed as 'missing, presumed dead', which means it's out best shot at going unnoticed, and even starting out with a clean slate."

"But which city do we head to?" asked Jessie, "I can't live in some of those back-woods towns they have!"

James wagged a finger, "Been checking into that too. It seems that Pokemon Contests have spread in popularity, even to regions where they were previously almost non-existent. All that new activity brings a lot of people, especially tourists who need transportation, and the heart of this new phenomenon is Goldenrod City!"

Jessie's eyes lit up, "Goldenrod?! Why, that's the most glamorous, delightful place in the whole region!"

"Don't forget huge. And confusin'..." Persian reminded them.

"There's maps for that," Jessie sniffed, "This is perfect; we can start anew! Build our own business, carve out our own niche...with the money we have it'll be a breeze! But first..." she went to a sleek glass desk in a corner of the living room, and grabbing a piece of paper and a pen began to hastily scribble a note, "I have to let the landlord know that I'm making...an emergency move. Family needs help. There was an accident, or something-yeah, an accident sounds good. I already payed until the end of the month so that's one less thing-there we go!"

Folding it to stuff in a jacket pocket, she turned to her companions, "Alright team, are we ready to go?"

"What about all your stuff, Jess?" asked James, looking around at the furniture and incidental objects.

Hoisting her suitcase, she replied, "I've got all the important things in here. I can get a new blender, but I can't find tres chic clothes like these again!"

"Always good ta see yer priorities are in order." muttered Persian.

Her companions already ahead of her in the hallway, Jessie started to close the door but as James had done, paused with her hand on the knob and took a last look inside. Though she had sworn on the ride over she wasn't going to get all sentimental, she found herself remembering the day she had first gotten her key and joyfully set foot in here. It had been lovely even then, with newer furniture and the doors to the balcony left open to let the warm spring breeze inside. She had been too busy with work much of the time to really spend time redecorating, but bit by bit she had made it her own. There was the painting she had bought from a local artist, the stain on the carpet from the paint she had spilled while trying to re-do the living room, the gilded-frame mirror she had found by the side of the road and loved so much she took it home...the spot by the window where she used to stand and stare out over the city, wondering if James and Persian were okay. Now here she was, abandoning this little gem and moving on to places unknown, all that work for naught. Her hand gripped the knob harder.

James turned around to see her staring inside, her face a swirl of different emotions. Walking back, he gingerly lay one hand on her shoulder and she snapped out of her trance with a tiny gasp, whipping her head to look at him.

"We'll find another home...together." he said reassuringly, echoing her own words to him.

Her shoulders relaxed, a soft smile across her face, "Thank you."

After slipping her keys wrapped in the note she had written under the door of the landlord's office, they made their way to the airport, ditching the car in the parking garage, a note taped to the windshield with instructions to have it returned to a certain Mr. Langer's Insurance company.

They entered the airport, still leafing through the handful of brochures they had picked up earlier that day and finalizing which lovely beach-side resort they wanted to visit. It was late enough that the lobby was nearly empty, a few sleepy passengers dozing on the rows of benches as they awaited their next flight, several others standing near the doors and waiting for their cabs. An announcement for the arriving flight to Celadon City crackled over the PA system, and a couple of the people on the benches got to their feet and shuffled toward their terminal. The trio had found themselves an out-of-the-way corner to finalize their choices.

"Dis one has all ya can eat buffets every day!" Persian marveled, his words slightly muffled from holding one of the papers in his mouth.

"But this one has complimentary spa services!" replied Jessie.

James held up one of the brochures, "This one had both."

"Well, that settles that then!" said Jessie cheerfully, flinging the rest of them into the nearest trash can, "Let's go get our tickets!"

They approached the ticket counter, dragging their suitcases. The young lady they found themselves facing ignored them for several moments until Jessie, growing impatient, coughed and 'er-hem-d' loudly, and the girl finally looked up from her phone at them.

"Can I help you?" she dully asked.

"Two tickets to Coral Paradise Resort in the southern Orange Islands!" Jessie said.

Persian's ears flattened, "Two?" he muttered.

"Pokemon don't count for seats-be happy you're flying for 'free'." James whispered quickly.

The girl sighed and began tapping away at her keyboard, and after mere moments said with an equal lack of enthusiasm as she looked back up, "I'm sorry but we don't have any direct-flight seats available for several days."

"What?!" fumed Jessie, hitting one fist on the counter, "You're telling me that of all the planes leaving for that area there isn't a single one that has seats for us?!"

With a slight eye-roll, the girl replied, "No. I'm _so_ very sorry."

Jessie whirled around to her partners with that furious gleam in her eyes that said that they'd all better think of something, and fast. Persian shrugged hopelessly and turned his attention to a small flock of Murkrow perching on the shrubs outside, wondering if he was fast enough to catch one. James swallowed nervously and tapped his chin, then clicked his fingers as a far-fetched, but plausible, idea came to him.

"Play along!" he murmured into Jessie's ear, then stepped up to the counter himself.

It was at this point that James noticed the girl's name-tag read 'Katy', and addressed her coolly, drumming his fingers on the counter-top, "Pardon me; Katy?"

Looking up again, her expression more sour than ever, she grumbled, "Yes?"

"Do you have any idea whom you've just so rudely snubbed?" he said sternly, crossing his arms.

Katy blinked, "No?"

Clearing his throat and gesturing dramatically toward Jessie, James announced, "You don't know?! For shame! Why, this is the world-renowned and incredibly talented actress and fashion diva Ms. Jezzelle!" he leaned in, "She's in disguise for security reasons-everywhere we go she's mobbed by hordes of adoring fans but you've forced my hand and put her in jeopardy! I hope you're happy!"

Katy's eyes widened, and she peered over the top of the counter at Jessie, who quickly assumed her best 'diva' pose and sighed loudly, tapping her foot while studying her nails, "I was hoping for a peaceful, smooth trip for once but I guess that's just too much to ask for!"

Becoming more and more flustered, the young lady stammered, "I-I'm sorry I had no idea-!"

Jessie bit her lip, trying not to laugh as James continued, "As her manager it's my job to make sure she's safe, happy, and has everything she needs. And right now she needs those tickets...if you can swing something I'm sure we can forgive and forget this whole, ugly incident."

Katy was already furiously typing away on her computer. James glanced over his shoulder at Jessie and winked, a smug grin across his face. Still trying not to laugh, she mouthed, 'You're the best!' back at him. A minute later Katy looked back up at them.

"I can get you two tickets on Pidgeot Lines, Flight 331. It leaves in an hour. That's the best I can manage-will that be okay?"

James sighed theatrically and ran a hand through his hair, "I suppose it'll have to do! Although..." he paused, hoping he wasn't pushing their luck too much, "Ms. Jezzelle would much appreciate it if you could get us a discount, too."

A couple minutes later Katy printed out their tickets and James quickly handed over the greatly-reduced money for them. As they hauled themselves down the gleaming, tiled hallways toward their terminal Jessie finally spoke up with a bark of laughter when they were out of ear-shot.

"That was brilliant!"

James puffed out his chest with pride, "Thank you, thank you!"

"How long ya tink it's gonna take her ta realize dere ain't no Ms. Jezzelle?" wondered Persian.

"Who cares?" said Jessie as she plunked herself onto a bench once they reached their assigned area, "By the time she does, we'll be long gone!"


	3. Finding Their Way

They made it to their destination without further incident, and spent the next week enjoying the beach, stuffing their faces, and generally living it up.

"So," James wondered aloud one day as they lay side-by-side on their beach chairs, "When we get back to Goldenrod...what's our first move?"

Jessie took a long sip of her drink, licking her lips with a satisfied sigh before answering, "We have plenty of time on the flight there to talk about it. Let's just enjoy ourselves for the time being."

"Fair enough," James stretched his arms, folding them behind his head and glanced toward a nearby cluster of palm trees, "Hmm. Those three certainly are!"

Arbok and Weezing were dozing in the cool, dense shade of those palm trees, relishing this vacation as much as their trainers. Arbok was coiled up with his head resting on a patch of grass, with Weezing cozily settled in the center of the spiral his body formed. Persian had vacated his own chair several minutes prior to join them, curling up in a ball with his head resting on Arbok's tail. Raising her sunglasses, Jessie followed his gaze to the little group and grinned.

Her and James caught each others eye and they cooed in teasing unison, "Awwww!"

In addition to relaxing on the beach, enjoying the spa, and eating to their hearts content, the two humans also spent a good deal of time alone in their room, discovering each other and what they enjoyed, even learning more about themselves. It was one of these nights that James brought up what had been eating at his mind, and the couple soon ironed out what they hoped were the last major kinks in this new relationship.

Persian quickly learned to walk away and go find something to amuse himself with whenever he heard the distinctive sounds of their 'activities' when approaching the door. It was times like that he both hated and yet greatly appreciated his superior sense of hearing.

At their vacation's end they boarded a plane yet again, this time bound for the huge, bustling city of Goldenrod, and it was there in the airport lobby that the trio was huddled together in their out-of-the-way corner plotting their next move.

"Alright team," said Jessie, "Like we discussed on the way, priority number one is finding a temporary place to stay until we can nab a more permanent residence."

Looking around, James asked, "How are we going to find one?"

"Hows about right 'ere?" Persian suggested, holding up a small, thick guide-book in his jaws.

"Where'd you get that?" said Jessie.

Persian rolled his eyes, "At de tourism stand we walked past on de way in. One of us has te tink ahead."

Choosing to ignore his sarcastic tone, Jessie snatched the booklet from Persian and replied, "Great work! Now then, let's see...hotels, motels...ah-ha! Here's some lovely places down-town!"

James peered over her shoulder, "Wait-they want how much?! No no no no..."

"What's yer issue?!" grumbled Persian, Jessie's irritated expression signaling her agreement with the Pokemon's sentiment.

With a frustrated sigh, James responded, "While it's true that we have a lot of money for the moment," spreading his hands he continued, "Like I've already said, if we blow a lot of it now, how will we start our business? How will we finance all the things we'll need? Let's face it; that chunk of cash is all we have until we start generating our own! I mean..."

He felt his words might have been a touch hypocritical as he remembered the tiny, velvet box hidden in the bottom of his suitcase...

One day while perusing the shopping district of the island resort while Jessie and Persian were at the spa for the fourth time, a small, bright flash had caught his eye from a shop window. Pausing, he had looked toward it only to realize he had stopped in front of a jewelry store, and that that flash had been the tropical sun glinting off of a delicate, flawless diamond ring. He stood staring at it, startled at the singular, unexpected thought running through his mind. The store owner wandered out to cheerfully ask him if he was interested in seeing or purchasing anything, and snapped from his spell, James had quickly sputtered an excuse to leave and strode away. He spent the rest of the day slowly wandering the island's paths and back streets, heart racing and head a mess of various emotions, finally stopping on the boardwalk to sit and stare out over the ocean as the molten sun slowly sank into the water.

Slowly, he began to make up his mind, and at the moment he did, leapt to his feet with a hearty half-laugh, half-sob, startling several nearby people, not that he noticed as he took off at a full-speed run. Skidding to a halt in front of the jewelry store, he managed to dart inside just as the owner was beginning to close up for the night. A short time later, he re-emerged, clutching a small box wrapped in tissue paper and ribbon against his chest, tears in his eyes and a huge smile across his face.

He paused to look up at the rising moon, "This time, I know I'm making the right decision..."

Jessie stared at her partner, waiting for him to continue as he had seemingly stopped mid-sentence, a glazed, faraway look in his eyes. Finally she lost her patience and snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"Hello? Earth to James? You still with us?"

"Oh!" he yelped, yanked back to the here-and-now, "Y-yeah! Sorry. Anyway, we should probably go with a more inexpensive, modest place."

Persian gave a resigned sigh, "I gotta admit, ya got a good point, Jimmy."

"Fine, fine...we'll get a cheaper place. It is only temporary, after all," Jessie finally agreed, flipping through the booklet a bit more, "Here we go! This place seems nice! Let's go guys!"

It didn't take them long to get down-town from the airport, and from there they took another trolley to a small, quiet neighborhood away from the main bustle of center city to search for their chosen hotel. After a little walking, and several wrong turns, ("Dis stupid place really is a maze!" Persian had whined), they finally found the place-a large, several-story brick building with intricate concrete scrolls along the corners and roof-line. The brick facade was ancient and stained with years of rain and weather, thick swathes of ivy clinging to it's sides.

"Well! This looks..." said James, waving his hand in a circular motion as he sought the right word.

"Like somethin' from a horror movie?" Persian offered.

Jessie again chose to ignore him, snapping their guide-book shut and declaring, "Since we went through all the trouble to find this place, we might as well suck it up and stay here. Let's just hope there's no...Litwicks around..." she added in a quieter tone, then stepped up to the front door and swung it open.

Her companions shuddered, then followed her inside.

Upon entering the lobby, they stopped and gaped at the lush interior, it's warmth and grandeur sharply contrasting the stark outside. Delicate, scrolled wallpaper covered the walls, well-built, expensive-looking furniture was scattered about the room, the marble floor tiles shone and thick, plush carpets were underfoot. A wide spiral staircase snaked up one side of the room to the upper floors, a large fireplace took up part of one wall, and in the middle of the ceiling a shimmering, elaborate crystal chandelier hung from a long brass chain.

Jessie dropped her suitcase and clasped her hands together, eyes shining, "This-this place is divine!" she gushed, "I can't believe they only want five-hundred a night!"

"Reminds me a bit too much of the west entrance of my parent's mansion..." grumbled James.

"Or a _haunted_ mansion," Persian's ears perked up, "I hear someone in dat back room dere!"

He pointed with one paw to a tall, wooden door upon which was a metal plaque that read 'Management's Office' behind the high, intricately carved front desk, and indeed, voices could be heard from the other side.

Walking up to the desk, Jessie plucked up the heavy brass bell sitting there and rang it. For a moment there was no response, the only sound being the bell's echo as it bounced off of the walls and high ceilings. Then they heard a loud creaking sound, and looked up to see the door swing open, then shut again-but no one could be seen. Immediately they felt the hairs on the backs of their necks stand up.

"D-did youse two see dat?!" Persian fearfully whispered, backing up a couple steps.

The two humans nodded and, like Persian, had taken several steps back as they instinctively reached for each other.

Jessie gulped loudly "Please don't t-tell me this p-place is actually-!"

Suddenly, a scratchy, high-pitched voice from seemingly nowhere appeared.

"Welcome! Can I help you?"

 _"Aaah!"_ the group cried in terror, grabbing each other in a hug, _"This place really is haunted!"_

That voice spoke up again, "Oh, for heaven's sake you lot! Keep yer pants on! Heh heh heh, except maybe for you, young man-you sound pretty cute! Gimme a second, gimme a second..."

A scrapping, shuffling noise was then heard, coupled with a string of grunts and curses. Finally a tiny, very old woman popped into view above the counter-top and rested her hands upon it.

"One of these days, I gotta have this godforsaken thing cut down to size-heh heh, mine specifically," she said, glaring at the object in question, "I'm getting sick and tired of dragging a stepladder around every time I need to reach something!"

The trio glanced at each other and stepped apart, at once relived at discovering there wasn't a 'ghost' after all, as well as mildly embarrassed at themselves.

"So, let's try this again," the lady adjusted her half-rim glasses and smiled at them, "Welcome to the Woodruff Hotel! My name is Francine. How can I help you on this fine day?"

"We-we were hoping to reserve a room." said James quickly.

Francine slid a heavy book closer to herself, flipping open the thick leather cover and picking up a gold pen topped with a feather plume, "Well, you've certainly come to the right place! This hotel has been a Goldenrod landmark for decades," as she spoke she scribbled away across a page of the guest-book, "Now, first things first, I need your names."

"I'm James. James Mor...Morton." he said after having stepped closer to the counter.

Francine chuckled and threw him a wink, "You sure about that, handsome?"

Curious and quickly getting bored, Persian had found a cozy spot in front of the fireplace to curl up and groom himself, and Jessie had stepped away to study a large, antique painting.

Gesturing to her with the pen, Francine inquired, "And your wife's name?"

The couple froze in surprise at hearing this, and unwittingly made eye contact. James felt his face turn several shades of red, while Jessie gasped slightly as her heart skipped a beat. The moment quickly passed, and both of them stumbled over each others words in their attempt to explain.

"No-no no no! We're not-!"

"You see we're still-"

"It's not really-"

Francine laughed, holding up her hands, "Alright, alright, I understand! Sorry, I just assumed. My mistake. Won't happen again."

Recovering her senses sooner, Jessie darted back over and grabbed James' arm, "No hard feelings!"

"Anyway, what _is_ you name, miss?"

"I'm Jessie!"

"Last name?"

"Smith."

Francine muttered to herself for a minute as she jotted down the info she needed, then said, "Okay then. Next, how many nights will you be staying with us?"

Jessie bit her lip and glanced at her companions, for in this time Persian had made his way back to the group.

Finally she sighed and explained, "We're not entirely sure, to be honest. You see, we just got here from-from our hometown and are looking to make a permanent home in this lovely city! But we need a place to stay while we're looking for said permanent home. So, we're not really sure how long we'll need to stay here..."

"As long as dey got food n' a soft bed I'm happy!" Persian said.

Blue eyes widening, Francine leaned over the counter slightly, "Bless my heart-! You can talk?!"

Grinning and licking a paw, Persian replied, "It's one of my many talents!"

With a giggle, Francine clapped her hands and said, "Why, in all my years, I've never met a Pokemon with such a gift! I'll tell you what; I'll put ya down for a week, and we'll go from there," she picked up a phone and barked into it, "Robert!"

Moments later, a paunchy, balding man that looked to be in his mid-forties scrambled into the room, adjusting his uniform as he did so, "Y-yes Mrs. Woodruff?!"

James noted the name and wondered aloud, "Mrs. Woodruff...? The same name as the hotel?"

"Aaah yes. You see," Francine waved a hand to indicate their surroundings, "My husband and his family were the ones who opened and ran this place for years. When he passed away, he left everything to me. I've tried to give it back to the family a couple times, but they want nothing to do with it anymore," she took a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed her eyes, "It's quite sad. But in any case, my dear Arthur also left me a substantial savings account so I wouldn't have to worry about a thing. But enough about all that. Robert, would you show our guests to their room? I need to get back to my soap operas."

She tossed him a set of keys, "And don't get lost. Again."

"N-no chance, Mrs Woodruff! I learned my lesson!" the man said with a bow, then turned to the trio, "Can I help you with your bags? Oh! Right! And-and follow me!"


	4. A Question

Robert led them up the spiral staircase, huffing from the weight of the bags but insisting he was fine, and led them down a couple hallways until they reached one of the heavy doors that lined said halls. He struggled with one of the keys for a moment before eventually getting it to work and threw the door open with a flourish.

"Welcome to your room!" he said with a proud grin.

Jessie stepped past him and gave a squeal of delight. The room they had been given was as elaborate and finely decorated as the lobby.

She danced further inside, throwing open the red silk drapes to let in the sunlight before throwing herself onto the curtain-draped four-poster bed, "I feel like a queen!"

"Well we do our best to treat our guests like royalty, so you're in good hands, milady!" said Robert with a laugh, "Is there anything I can get for you three?"

"I think we're alright for now," replied James, taking the bags that Robert had been carrying, "Thank you. I think now we just need some rest. It's been a long day."

Robert gave a sharp salute, "You've got it, sir! If you need anything, the front desk and myself are just a phone call away! Oh, um, right, the phone is right there by the bed,"he looked up and began to count on his fingers, "Breakfast is served from eight until nine. Checkout is at noon. The front desk direct number is-"

"Sounds good! Wonderful! Thank you so much for everything! We'll see you later!" laughed James nervously as he shut the door on the still-chattering man.

Persian flopped onto an ornate rug in the middle of the room, "So now what?"

Jessie sat up, "Now we take a rest like James suggested, maybe get some food, wander a bit to get our bearings, and tomorrow the search for our own place begins!"

James sniffed himself and made a face, " _My_ first order of business is to get a shower. After a couple days of travel, I'm quite over-do!"

"Agreed. Ya are startin' ta smell a bit ripe dere, Jim!" Persian casually said.

"Thanks." he replied flatly.

"I wasn't gonna say nothin', but my superior sense o' smell says dat frankly, ya stink-"

"Listen here cat-!"

Jessie stood up and stomped one foot, "Alright! _Enough_ , both of you! James, go get a shower. Persian, go grab us some food. Put that super-nose of yours to work," she tossed him a small money pouch which he easily caught in his teeth, "Nothing too expensive."

"N' jus whu ah you gonna du?" mumbled the Pokemon as best he could.

Jessie had already sat herself at an old writing desk after grabbing James' laptop and flipping it open, " _I_ am going to research apartments for rent and real estate for sale. Don't be too long! And don't get lost!"

It didn't take much time, however, before Jessie sighed and closed the laptop, having had scant little luck finding what they were looking for. The fact that her stomach kept lightly growling at her every so often wasn't helping, nor were the words that kept worming their way back to the forefront of her thoughts.

 _"And your wife's name?"_

She sighed and walked to the tall windows, undoing the latch and pulling them open, letting the cool breeze wash over her. Resting her arms on the windowsill, she leaned out slightly to observe the activity along the street below. Though this little section of the city lacked the hustle and bustle of downtown, at this hour it was nonetheless a hive of energy, with people and their Pokemon coming and going from the small shops lining the streets or simply making their way to their destinations. She watched with a sour face as a young couple at the nearby flower shop went over the baskets and buckets of various blooms. They were just close enough that Jessie could catch snippets of their conversation.

"...these mean forever and...my bouquet..."

"...the most beautiful...our wedding will be..."

With a groan, she lowered her head until her chin was resting on her arms. The thought of possibly getting married hadn't even entered her mind until Francine had assumed they already were. Was it too soon to think of such a thing? They had, after all, only recently re-met. But, she mused, they had already known each other for so long before that-did those couple years apart really count all that much?

"Well we certainly never 'knew' each other the way we do now..." she found herself muttering aloud with a grin.

Her smile fell away again as she continued to think. This was James she was talking about, she realized, and though he was certainly a braver and more confident man than he used to be, she wasn't sure if he had changed _that_ much-this was the same person who had declared several times that he would never marry-after all, he had been tormented and abused by the woman he was 'supposed' to marry, and she knew that he still bore the mental, not to mention physical, scars of that abuse.

Suddenly a swarm of Hoppip, caught in an errant updraft, zipped by the window so close that one bounced off of her head. She gave a yelp of surprise, swatting it away as she stumbled back into the room a few steps. Unfazed, the small Pokemon cheerfully trilled and swooped upward to rejoin it's companions.

"Stupid, useless Hoppips!" grumbled Jessie.

It was then, away from all the noise outside, that her ears caught another sound, and she had to pause and listen to decipher what it was. Quickly she realized what she was hearing; it was James, singing in the shower. Another moment, and she knew what it was he was singing. Her hand unconsciously clenched and moved to her heart as the memory came back to her...

It had been soon after their upgrade to full-fledged agents of Team Rocket. After a day's successful mission, they had picked up their payment and decided to stop at a local bar, in disguise of course, for a celebratory round of drinks. The place had happened to be having their karaoke night, and after a couple shots, James had insisted they participate. Meowth had immediately rejected the notion, as had Jessie, but after another rum-and-cola, had finally given in to her giddy mood and James' pleading, puppy-dog eyes. Stumbling up to the microphone, the two humans chose a then-popular pop song to do, modifying it slightly to fit themselves. Full of alcohol and over-confidence they butchered the poor tune, but nonetheless regarded it as their second victory that day.

Jessie's hand was still over her chest as she listened to the words she hadn't heard in years.

"No matter where, my heart's in your hands...no matter what, baby, we got a plan-ah!"

A loud clatter was heard, followed by a string of curses in which she could just pick out him yelling, "Stupid basket-thing!"

She snorted with laughter and felt her pain begin to ease. Officially married or not, again this was James, _her_ James-quirks, clumsiness, flaws and all, and she knew that her heart belonged with his. Things between them were just really getting rolling; they had plenty of time. Besides, there was no telling if said time would change his, or her, mind. 'Maybe _I'll_ ask _him_ sometime!' she mused. After another moment's thought she decided she could use a shower as well, and began unbuttoning her blouse as she approached the bathroom door...

James ducked his head under the shower spray, letting the warm water wash over his hair and rinse out the generous amount of conditioner he had applied before vigorously shaking it out. Picking up a washcloth, he squeezed some body-wash onto it...right before feeling a familiar pair of arms slip themselves around his torso

"Hey you..." Jessie's voice purred, "Need a hand?"

He let out a loud yelp and froze in surprise, dropping the bottle of body-wash. Jessie laughed at his reaction, not expecting to have startled him so much.

"What's the matter, my dear?"

James shuddered, feeling every curve of her body molded into his,"You kinda startled me and I wasn't exactly expecting company-and you-you're...wow. Um..."

Jessie kissed his neck, enjoying the slight moan that escaped his lips.

"Well," she finally said, "It's been a long day. I figured you could use some...assistance.".

She snatched away the washcloth, and began to scrub his back with it.

"I'm not helpless..." he said after a moment, then sighed and relaxed a little, "But I'm certainly not going to protest this!"

Her hand that was not occupied with the washcloth began wandering over his chest and stomach, and feeling bold, she grinned, pausing at his hip before grasping his already-hardening erection. He gasped, tilting his head back and hissing in a breath.

"Oh really now?" she teased.

Biting his lip he groaned loudly, "Well c-can you blame me?! You're kind of-and then-ah _Jessie!_ "

Rising onto her toes, she smirked and said in his ear, "Shhh! I know I'm good but you'll horrify the neighbors! ...On second thought, the hell with them. We're only here temporarily after all. And this water is pretty loud, so make all the noise you want..."

She continued to stroke him while giving his neck and shoulders gentle kisses and nips, greatly enjoying the gasps and moans he made.

Finally he spat out, "If you d-don't stop I'm gonna-"

At that she flung the washcloth aside and spun him around to capture his mouth with her own, relishing the feel of her 'handiwork' pressed against her belly. Pulling back, her eyes fell again fell upon the circular scar on his chest. Her eyes welled up, though it was rendered invisible by the shower's spray and she brushed her fingers across it.

She was struck by a sudden realization that hit her very core; who cares if she had a ring of gold on her finger, when this ring forever burned into his flesh more than proved how much he loved her, how much he was willing to give for her? His eyes followed her movements and finally locked with hers.

Reaching up, she touched his face and smiled warmly before again brushing her lips across his, "We can finish this now, or later..."

Staring back into her lust-darkened eyes, trying not to shake too much, he grasped her by the hips and lifted her up a bit, pressing himself against her folds and shuddering at her longing moan before managing to say, "Why wait...?"

On his second attempt, Persian managed to finesse the doorknob open and padded into their room, a large take-out bag in his jaws. Sometimes he really missed being able to walk on two legs and have smaller, more capable paws. In the couple years since his evolution, he had re-learned speech, yes, but as for walking on his hind legs...he feared that skill had been lost. Upon entering, he saw Jessie at the desk, her long hair damp and wearing a sky-blue robe, typing away on the laptop while James was sprawled out across the bed in only his pants, snoring away.

"I got us noodle bowls." Persian said, setting the bag down on a nearby side table.

Jessie closed the laptop and walked over to their prize, licking her lips, "Excellent choice! They smell so good."

"What's up wit him?" the feline asked, jerking his head in James' direction.

Without looking up from the bag as she dug out their foam take-out bowls , Jessie grinned coyly, "Oh, he's been quite busy. I'm letting him nap; he's earned it."


	5. Location, location

The group spent the next week looking for an apartment as well as a suitable place to start their new business, all the while beginning to really learn their way around as well as making friends with several local business owners; Jessie had stressed the importance of 'net-working'.

Once their 'one-week' stay at the hotel was up, the group found themselves back at the front desk while they waited to talk to Francine, trying to figure out how much longer they were going to need to stay, or if they should go somewhere else. They still hadn't come to a solution when she got back from her errand, and again clambering onto her stepladder pulled out the guest register and asked them the inevitable.

"Well? Is this goodbye, or do I need to pen you in for another day or so?"

Jessie coughed and sheepishly said, "Well, to be honest...you see..."

"We're still in the process of..." James continued.

Francine gave a hearty laugh, "You have no idea how much longer you're going to be, are you? That's fine. It happens. I'll tell ya what; I like you three," she winked at James, "And I'm still waitin' for my chance to take you out, handsome! Heh heh heh!"

James coughed and blushed lightly while Jessie rolled her eyes. Persian smirked, highly amused by the whole thing.

Francine continued with, "Anyhoo, I'll keep you on a day-to-day basis. We've got plenty of free rooms this time of year, so it's no big deal. In fact, I'll even give you a discount..." she held up a finger, "On one condition."

"Yes?" they asked in unison.

"If you'll permit me to talk to and spend some time with him," she gestured toward Persian, "I'll give you half off your stay!"

"Done!" said Jessie without hesitation.

Persian, however, flattened his ears and glared at her, "Hey! Where's my say in dis?! I ain't no sideshow or Rent-a-Pokemon!"

"Oh get over it!" James hissed quietly, "Think of all the money we'd be saving!"

Seeing the brewing argument, Francine waved her hands, her many bracelets jingling, "Please, please! Let me explain! You see..." she lowered herself to the floor and shuffled over to a table near the counter, upon which was a display of old photos and picked one up, "Many years ago, I had my own Persian. His nickname was Captain. Oh, he was a special Pokemon. I still miss him dearly."

She turned and held the photo up for them to see. It showed a young lady in formal dress, sitting in a plush, high-backed chair. Next to her sat a tall, regal-looking Persian with a gilded collar, one paw on her leg, mirroring her hand on his head.

"I've never seen another Persian that looked like him until the day you three walked in," she continued after putting the photo back in it's spot, "And I've certainly never met any Pokemon who could speak! You see, Captain used to accompany me when I went out and about. Now, I could use an assistant again, a companion if you will for when I run my errands. It's getting harder at my age-I just can't walk and carry things like I used to! Robert is too busy helping the other guests, as are the rest of the staff. So Persian, it would be wonderful if you could lend me a hand, or, a paw."

With this explanation, along with the old woman's wistful smile when talking about her beloved Pokemon, Persian felt his indignation melt away and he nodded, "Alright den...Ya got yerself an assistant."

The next couple weeks passed much as the first had, with the group trying to find the perfect spot for their business and home, only now Persian was often absent as he assisted Francine with her errands-of which she had many. At first, despite his agreement to the arrangement, the feline had begrudgingly tagged along but soon found himself genuinely enjoying his outings and her company. Often, he'd return with stories of interesting places they'd been or people he'd met. Just as important, he stressed, was how he was memorizing the area and keeping a lookout for suitable places.

The human two-thirds of the team quickly found themselves 'enjoying' his frequent absenteeism as well, taking the opportunity to indulge their love.

"When the cat's away, the humans will play..." purred Jessie one morning as she straddled James' lap, slowly pulling off her nightgown and enjoying his look of lust-filled reverence.

One balmy afternoon, Jessie and Persian were eating at a small, inexpensive cafe they had discovered recently after another fruitless day of searching.

"Ya tink we're eva gonna find a place?" the feline sighed.

Taking a sip of her iced tea, Jessie huffed, "Of course we will! This city is huge. We still have plenty of areas that we haven't checked out yet, and frankly-"

"Heeeeey! Hey!"

They turned at the distinctive sound of James' voice to see him running up to them, waving one hand while the other clutched a sheaf of papers, an excited, practically giddy smile lighting up his face.

"What's gotten into you? And what's that?" asked Jessie as he reached them, gesturing to the papers he held.

He held them up, "These...are our future!"

When his friends stared in confusion, he said, "What am I doing? Come on! I'll show you!"

A short time later, the group stood in front of a several story, stucco building just off the edge of downtown. An old, weathered sign hung on one nail, swinging in the breeze. Pieces of the stucco had peeled off and lay crumbled around it's base, and the facade was stained from years of rain and wind-blown dirt. A boarded-up door with a heavy padlock on the handle had a worn notice warning of trespassing taped to the center.

Jessie and Persian stood with their mouths hanging open, while James proudly had his hands planted on his hips, that grin as wide as ever, "It's perfect!"

Slowly, taking a few deep breaths, Jessie asked, "You...did _what,_ again?"

"I bought it! Passed by earlier when they were auctioning it off. I got a really good deal on it too!" he replied, tapping the papers, "All the paperwork is right here. Paid for in full. It's all ours! We finally have our own place! So what do you think?"

"I tink ya got robbed Jimmy! Dis place is a dump!" whined Persian.

"How much was it?" Jessie groaned, afraid of the answer.

James swallowed, and trying to soften the blow, said, "Well, keep in mind that it was a very good deal for it's size and location, practically a steal! Um, it uh...it was about half of our money...maybe a tiny bit more, b-but the important part is-"

 _"HALF?!"_ Jessie exploded, grabbing his collar, "You blew half our money on this- _this broken heap?!_ After all your talk of how we need to not spend too much?!"

Trying to pry her hands off before she decided to go for his throat, James tried to explain, "I know I know! But look; this is a prime piece of real estate! It's close to downtown, near the train station and halfway between the battle stadium and the contest arena! Normally this would fetch twice the price, but b-because it needs a little work-"

 _"It needs more than a little!"_

"Because it needs some work, that dropped the price! Think about it! How many things have we built?! Repairing this place will be a piece of cake! That'll save us even more! I was...just trying to do my best..."

Finally, Jessie released him with a sigh, "Well...since it's all ours anyway, we might as well see the inside."

James re-adjusted his collar and walked up to the door, taking a key from his pocket, "That's the spirit! Now everyone, may I welcome you to our humble abode?"

Upon entering, Jessie and Persian felt no better than they had looking at the outside. The first couple floors had been cleared to make it one vast, open space. Large glass panels in the roof had broken ages ago, and consequently the floor was littered with leaves and debris. Graffiti was scrawled across several walls, and bits of trash and rusty tools lay scattered among the refuse. An old metal staircase led up one side of the first floor to what appeared to be an office area, and another wooden one, behind a door long fallen of it's hinges led to the upper floors.

"What _was_ dis place?" asked Persian.

"A car and truck dealership," replied James, kicking lightly at a pile of the dry, rustling leaves, "Which explains the open area and glass roof; they needed the space to repair large vehicles and light to make the cars look good. Oh! And also-" he ran for the other side of the room and wrestled open the nearly rusted-shut back door, "Look! It's got an entire acre out back! It's where they stored cars, but for us, it makes a perfect landing strip!"

Jessie looked over the weeded, yet wide lot and smiled, her heart beginning to lift and ideas forming in her head, "There's lots of room out here! With a little mowing and set-up..."

Stepping back inside, James pointed upwards, "Exactly! And for the pièce de résistance; the upper two floors are outfitted into a penthouse apartment! Our home and workplace are in the same building! No travel costs will save us even more!"

Persian cocked his head as he looked up, "I'm gonna go check dat out..." and he padded up the stairs.

Laughing, Jessie threw her arms around James' neck, kissing him, "This really is perfect! At first I wanted to strangle you but now I can see it's full potential!"

He hugged her back with a nervous chuckle, "I'm so glad to hear that..."

Moments later, a loud crack was heard, followed by a cream-colored paw dangling from a hole in the floor above their heads.

Persian could be heard complaining, "I haven't been here five minutes and dis place is tryin' ta kill me! Tanks a lot, Jim!"

Jessie didn't bother stifling her laughter as the feline came back, covered in dust and cobwebs, his ears folded back in irritation.

"Well," James snorted, "All this aside, what do you think pal?"

"No, I'm fine. Tanks for askin'," the Pokemon said sarcastically before nosing an old hammer lying on the ground into view and adding, "Well, seein' as I've been out-voted, let's get started..."

While they still stayed at the Woodruff at night, they now spent their days fixing up their new 'home base'. It took several weeks of dawn-to-dusk hard work for them to get the place in a presentable state. Nearly everything, from the electrical to the plumbing, not to mention the general appearance, needed more care and attention they had initially realized. As they worked, people began to pause and watch, some even asking questions, such as what they were planning to do with the place and when they would be open. These they happily answered, hoping to draw in some future business.

In between work on the building itself and trips to local hardware suppliers, they also found the time to sketch out designs for and build two hot air balloons with which to, quite literally, launch their new business. One had a large, round basket and a Persian-shaped balloon it's living lookalike insisted was sure to be a hit. The other was a curved, boat-shaped basket suspended by a Dratini-shaped balloon. This one they took special care to design and make, as they intended on it being their 'flagship'. When they were finally done, they all agreed; both were superb and certain to impress. The Dratini balloon was the one they chose to fly around the city in the days before their official opening to attract attention, dropping promotional flyers and coupons to the people below.

Eventually, after much toil, and unfortunately, more expense than they had planned on, Three Roses Site-Seeing Service (the name had been chosen after several heated debates over noodle bowls and a few beers on one of their first nights at the Woodruff) was officially ready to be open for business, and they were finally able to let Francine know they were ready to leave.

"Ooooh...really?" the elderly woman said, a touch of lament in her voice as she again opened her guest-book.

Jessie blinked, "Aren't you glad to be getting rid of us? There's a lot more people coming in now."

"I still have rooms available. And truth be told, I'm gonna miss you three a bit. I never did get that date with you, James! Heh heh! I was actually wondering...Persian; think you could still lend me a paw sometimes?"

The Pokemon nodded, "I'd love ta!"

With a satisfied smile, Francine scribbled across 'their' page, "In that case, I hope you've enjoyed your stay at the Woodruff, and we hope to see you again!"

Early the next morning, Jessie was awoken by a shaking of her shoulder and an excited voice saying, "C'mon Jess! Get up! It's time to get ready!"

"Wha...whazzat? Mmmm..." she groaned, rubbing her eyes and sitting up.

James was kneeling on the bed in front of her looking like a kid on Christmas morning, "Hello, beautiful. Did you sleep well? Are you ready for today?"

Still groggy, Jessie looked around and for a moment, was startled by the unfamiliar surroundings. Then she remembered; this was their home now, and that they had spent a good part of yesterday buying some furniture pieces and other necessities for their new apartment. It was still very sparse, not even having curtains yet and only the most basic of amenities but still...it was home. She could hear Persian down the hall in the kitchen, singing terribly off-key as he got a simple breakfast together.

She found herself smiling back despite the hectic day that lay ahead, not to mention hating mornings in general and said, "Let's get this party started!"


	6. A Rocky Start

After breakfast and triple-checking they had everything ready, they went to the front door and stood behind it, certain they heard a crowd on the other side as they gave each other a pep-talk. They all wore new, aviation-inspired outfits for the occasion, and Persian re-adjusted his scarf and goggles one more time.

Jessie stuck out her hand, palm-down, "Ready, team?!"

The males slapped their hand, or paw, on hers and replied, "Ready!"

As one, they threw open the door and called out, "Good morning everyone! Welcome to Three Roses Sight-Seeing Services!"

They froze as they saw only a handful of people waiting outside, and realized the rest of the noise had been from people passing by.

"W-where is everyone?" wondered Jessie.

"Maybe they slept in...?" said James.

Persian gulped, "So much for de 'grand openin'!"

After a moment the people that were there smiled at them and started to move closer.

"Heeey! You're finally open! I had to see what this was like!" said one man.

A lady with him held up one of their fliers and added, "We've never ridden in a hot air balloon before!"

Jessie swiftly grabbed her companions and pulled them all together for a quick huddle, "Alright, so we don't have the crowds we hoped for. It's day one; this is fine. We're not that well-known yet. Right? Right. So, let's show these people what we can do!"

Turing back to the dismally small group of customers, they struck a pose and Jessie said, "Well then, let us take you for a ride!"

"Up, up, up into the crystal blue skies!" added James.

"Daaaat's right!" Persian finished, out of habit.

The crowd gasped, and the woman who had spoken previously said, "You can talk!?"

Seeing an opportunity, Persian stood tall, "Why yes! Yes I can! Tree Roses is de only place in de woild dat has a talkin' Pokemon! You can tell yer friends dat!"

Despite Persian's noble attempt at attracting business, that first day, they had only about a dozen customers, but these few were showered with gratitude and friendliness in the hopes of them returning, and even better, spreading the word. Disappointed but not deterred, they shared a celebratory dinner by candlelight to save money on electricity and went to bed, dreaming of the success they surely had coming.

As it turned out, owning and running a legitimate business was harder than they realized. In the days that followed, sometimes they had many customers, and sometimes they had few...or even none. On one of these terribly slow days, Jessie sat in their office at her antique rosewood desk (they had simply re-used the already-existing office area, fitting it with filing cabinets and a work desk for each of them) fiddling with several pens after having gone over their pathetically small amount of paperwork. Just as she was about to leave, James entered with a sigh and flopped into the chair at his own desk; an elegant, vintage, mahogany hulk of a thing they had managed to talk the seller into giving them for a song.

"Any luck?" asked Jessie.

"Nope," he answered, "Persian headed out to help Francine, then he's going downtown to try and drum up some business. I even flipped the sign around to 'Closed' until he gets back. So for the time being, it's just you and me. "

Suddenly feeling mischievous, she smirked, "Really now?"

"I know that look in your eye..."

Standing, she sauntered over and pushed his chair out with her foot, settling herself onto his lap and slipping her arms around his neck, "Seeing as we have nothing else to do...how long do you think that cat's going to be?"

He felt the blood rise in his face, not to mention other places as he gently tilted her own face toward him, "Long enough..."

She brushed her lips against his, feeling her heart-rate and adrenaline increase as they wasted no time in loosening and undoing each other's clothes, impatient to shed any fabric between them. Her laughter as he nuzzled his face in her breasts quickly turned to soft moans as he closed his mouth over one. Fumbling with his belt, she finally succeeded in freeing him from the confines of his boxers and grinned lustfully at how aroused he already was. An idea crossed her mind then, one that made her blush and recall a night not too long ago; her trying to fight off the involuntary tremble that rattled her body as she watched him with his face between her thighs, his tongue tenderly caressing her most sensitive areas and hands firmly clamped on her bottom, his groans and expression telling her he was enjoying this moment nearly as much as she. Snapping back to the present, her eyes flicked up to meet his and she bit her lip, running her fingers down his bare chest and stopping just south of his belly-button.

"Wha-what are you plotting?" he managed.

She answered by sliding off his lap and lowering herself to the floor, "Well, after the other night, I figured it was only fair..."

"Since when do you ever play fa-ah!" James cut himself off with a gasp as she closed her mouth around his member.

Unable and unwilling to question this sudden boldness, he shook lightly, gripping his chair and breath rapid as she had her way with him. He was transfixed as he watched her work; sometimes running her tongue along his length, sometimes taking him in her mouth completely.

It wasn't long before he arched his back and moaned, "I can't-! I'm gonna-"

"Oh no you don't," swiftly, she stood back up and shimmied herself onto his desk, "I was thinking this old thing could use some...breaking in," hiking up her skirt a bit she raised an eyebrow, "Wouldn't you agree?"

In a flash he was there, his mouth capturing hers and sliding his hands up her thighs to her hips. Eyes snapping open, he paused and stared at her.

"Are you...not wearing underwear? Were you planning this?"

Jessie replied with only a smirk, kicking off her heels and wrapping her legs around his waist, leaning back slightly. Returning her look, he leaned in and kissed her again, moving himself to gently probe her entrance. Hissing in a breath, he felt how slick with need she already was and locking eyes with her, read the urgency there. Gripping the desk's edge, with one quick, deep thrust he filled her completely, the rush of sensation causing them both to gasp. Knowing well by now what kind of mood she was in, he barely bothered with a slower pace before moving quickly against her, fervently kissing her neck and mouth as he did so. She moaned loudly, biting her lip and bracing her forearms against the desk as she moved her hips in rhythm with his, already feeling the delicious, agonizing tension coiling itself inside her.

"I-I'm not going to last much longer..." he groaned through clenched teeth.

"Neither am I!" she panted with a grin.

It seemed only moments before his climax hit him hard and he cried out, burying his face in her neck and moaning her name, his whole body shaking. Hanging on the edge of ecstasy, she breathlessly pleaded for him to keep going, and determined to give her the same pleasure that was currently coursing through his own body he did so. Seconds later she joined him, tilting her head back and unabashedly crying out, nails digging into the wooden desk.

They stilled themselves for a minute, soft giggles and their ragged breath the only sounds before he reluctantly pulled away and they yanked their clothes back on or into place. Weakly flopping back into his chair, James wiped a hand across his damp forehead before Jessie perched herself on his lap again, leaning in to cuddle against him. Wrapping his arms around her he kissed the top of her head and sighed with contentment.

"Hey Jess-did you ever think you'd be sleeping with the head of a successful company?" he chuckled after a short time.

She raised her head and shot him a questioning look, "Excuse me; who's in charge around here?"

With a resigned but amused smile he replied, "Terribly sorry, milady. Alright, second in command then. So what does that make Persian?"

"Third, of course."

Unable to help it, James cracked a wider grin, "Or, 'fur'd, as the case may be."

Jessie broke into a fit of laughter, "That was terrible, even for us!"

Both laughing now, they hugged each other close, their spirits higher than they had been in days and felt that maybe, just maybe, they were finally on their way.

One day a couple weeks later, as Jessie made a quick run for more supplies, she paused by the fruit stand they stopped at sometimes and considered grabbing some apples for a snack. She had felt hungrier than usual the last few days, something she had chalked up to their finally increasing customer flow; most days now they were quite busy. It was then she spied a familiar face, or at least one she'd recently become familiar with. A red-headed young man that looked to be in his mid to late teens was milling around as he had been every day for the past week whenever she traveled this way, she realized. He had his hands stuck in the pockets of his ill-fitting, worn pants and kept sneaking the occasional glance toward the stand owner as he nonchalantly paced about.

It struck Jessie suddenly what this was.

"He's trying to steal some..." she muttered to herself, "I know that act anywhere."

Curious, she kept watching from the corner of her eye while pretending not to notice him. At one point he winced and clutched his stomach for just a moment, and she saw the hunger, fear and pain in this boy's eyes before his face returned to a practiced gaze of indifference. Something in her own stomach clenched at that, and she abruptly saw herself standing there instead. She knew what it was like all too well; to be young, alone, starving and desperate. That was, at least in part, how she had eventually fallen in with Team Rocket, after all.

Moments later, seeing the stand owner distracted by another customer, he snatched a few pieces of fruit and stuffed them in his pockets before darting away. An idea, albeit a down-right insane one, hit Jessie like a Thunderbolt attack and not entirely sure why, how, or what she would say she dashed after him.

"Hey! You! Um, excuse me?!" she called.

Startled, he whipped around for just a second before dashing into an alleyway.

"Oh no you don't!" snapped Jessie, determined now.

The boy reached the end of the alley, clambered over the fence and ducked behind a dumpster on the other side before stopping to catch his breath. Cautiously, he peered around it to where he had just come from and seeing no one, breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was close..." he said to himself before pulling a pear from his pocket, turning-and coming face-to-face with Jessie standing right in front of him with her arms crossed.

He let out a cry of surprise and stumbled backwards, bumping into the dumpster and dropping his prize, "H-how in the world did you-?!"

"Trade secret." she replied simply with a smirk.

Sourly, he glared back at her, "What do you want? I-I didn't do anything..."

"Look, I really don't care that you stole that fruit; I think that guy over-charges a little anyway."

"Then why did you follow me?"

She started to reply but froze. Here was the part she hadn't completely thought out yet. Still not entirely sure why she was bothering to do this, why she had picked this kid of all people, she decided to simply wing it.

"Because I have a job offer for you. I've just opened a hot-air balloon site-seeing business, and as of right now we have only three staff members, including myself. When it picks up and starts getting busy, we could use someone to help run errands, greet people, help clean up, that sort of thing. What do you think?"

The young man stood up straighter and tilted his head a bit, "Wait...what? Really? But why me?"

Jessie gestured to him, "Because I've been in your shoes, kid. I've walked that road and it was awful. Trust me, it doesn't lead anywhere good. So I guess I'm...just trying to help. We'll pay you, of course. But you have to actually work for it."

"You...you're really serious?" he wondered.

"Do I look like the type to chase down a dirty kid in an alleyway if I wasn't?"

For the first time, he cracked a smile and said, "Definitely not. Okay, I accept."

"Good!" she replied crisply, "Oh, right. I'll need to know your name. What's your name? And, how old are you?"

"I'm Charles, but I like Charlie better...and I just turned fifteen."

"I'm Jessie. Nice to meet you. Now," she took a scrap of paper from her purse and scribbled their address on it, "Here's our address. We open at nine. I expect to see you first thing tomorrow. Alright?"

After a moment's hesitation, still reeling from disbelief that this was actually happening, Charlie took the slip of paper, "I'll be there."

"I hope so. Now then, I need to be on my way. I've got things to do, and the smell from this garbage is making me sick. I'll see you tomorrow," she held out her hand, "Welcome aboard."

He shook her hand, "Thank you, Ms. Jessie..."


	7. New Kid in Town

Returning home, Jessie was practically walking on air, even more so when she saw the line of people snaking part way around the building, waiting to board one of their vessels. Ducking inside to drop off her purchases, she swiftly changed into her now-favorite pilot's clothes and darted back outside, finding a slightly flustered James at the head of the line. He had Weezing out of his Pokeball, who was trying to help by keeping the children happy and distracted.

Waving his hands, he called, "Please be patient everyone! The next flight will be arriving soon!" glancing at Jessie he whispered, "This is starting to get out of hand; we've had a bunch of people show up in just the last hour!"

"Well it's a good thing that I've hired our first employee!" she replied, then joined him in calming the crowds, cheerfully reassuring them they didn't have much longer to wait and letting Arbok out to join Weezing's endeavors.

James did a double-take, "You what?!"

She looked up, shielding her eyes from the sun's glare as she watched the balloon Persian was piloting begin it's descent toward the unloading platform they had built and grinned, "You heard me-we have our first underling. Now we're really the bosses!"

Looking back at the group that she could swear had grown larger still, she added, "Oh dear, so many customers...you want to take the other balloon up or should I?"

The next morning, a mildly-nervous looking young man stood near the doorway of a tall stucco building, it's creamy white exterior with a fresh coat of paint practically gleaming in the morning sun, a large, elaborate hand-painted sign arching across the front that seemed to proudly declare the business's name. An also hand-done sign hanging on the door pictured a sleeping Arbok and Weezing and said _'Sorry, we're closed! Please return soon!'_ with a heart. He swallowed and adjusted his ill-fitting clothes, trying to make himself appear as presentable as possible before reaching out to ring the bell.

Before his finger touched the button however, the door abruptly flew open, startling him, and Jessie stood there with a wide grin, "Charlie! You actually showed up! I have to admit, I had my doubts," she glanced at a wall-clock inside, "And right on time, too! I'm impressed. Come in, then. We don't have all day."

Turning on her heel, she lead the way with a still uncertain Charlie following close behind. He froze, looking around him at the interior. It was a huge, cavernous space, the high ceilings in part of the main room topped with sky-lights through which sunlight streamed, shining off of the polished wood walls and floor. Two large rolling doors took up nearly the one entire back wall. He gaped at the two large, beautifully crafted hot-air balloons that were resting on the left side of the room, deflated until they were needed.

"Wow..." he uttered.

Jessie crossed her arms and smiled, "Impressive, isn't it?"

"Yeah, this place was a dump! There was junk and broken crap everywhere. I know 'cause sometimes I used to crash here when..." he suddenly looked uncomfortable and shifted his gaze away.

"Kid, I was homeless too for a very long time. I'm not going to judge you for it," seeing the pain in his eyes, Jessie reached out to rest her hand on his shoulder but stopped and withdrew, instead re-crossing her arms, "The only thing I'm going to judge you for is how well you do for us."

He nodded gratefully, changing the subject by glancing over at the balloons and pointing at them, "Did you build these?"

"We all did." came a reply from behind them.

James and Persian stepped off the stairs and into the room, James extending his hand, "Hello, nice to meet you! I'm James, and this is Persian."

"Nice to meet you, sir." said Charlie, shaking his hand a little nervously.

James blinked and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Oh, you don't need to call me sir! Just James is fine..."

"It's about time you two got yourselves together and down here!" smirked Jessie, now putting her hands on the boy's shoulders, "This is Charlie."

"Hi, kid" said Persian, waving a paw, "And don't give us dat, Jess! Ya only got yer butt ready a lil' bit ago yerself!"

Charlie's mouth fell open and he pointed shakily at the Pokemon, "Did-did he just?!"

"Yes, he can talk," James reassured him, "You'll get used to it pretty quick."

"But how...?"

Puffing out his chest, Persian sneered, "It's a long story, squirt. If I decide I like ya, I might tell ya sometime."

"Okay..." awkwardly, he looked at his feet then back to them, "So um...what's my job? Like, what do you need me to do, at least for now?"

Jessie looked around, "Oh! Right! I hadn't that far ahead, actually. Um..." spying a broom leaning against a nearby wall, she grabbed it and stuck it in Charlie's hands, "Here. The main floor could use a sweep. We'll go from there."

"Sure! I can do that! You can count on me, Ms. Jessie!" he saluted quickly and began to run the broom across the ground.

Whipping around and jabbing a finger toward their balloons, Jessie said, "Let's get these balloons fired up! This place isn't going to run itself!"

As the trio prepped their 'fleet' for the day's work, James casually wondered, "Say Jess, where'd you meet Charlie anyway? We've been so busy I forgot to ask!"

"Oh, I caught him stealing some fruit yesterday and I decided to give him a job!" she answered cheerfully, yanking a section of balloon into place for proper inflation.

James and Persian froze and stopped to stare in astonishment at her, and suddenly the only noise in the room was the rhythmic swish of Charlie's broom. His lips pressed into a thin line, a scowl across his face, James crooked a finger at Jessie, and the two walked around to the other side of the large balloon's basket, out of the young man's sight and earshot-or so they believed.

Fighting to control his shock and annoyance, James hissed, "Would you like to run that by me again?!"

Persian now joining them as well, Jessie realized the reason for their strong reaction and planted her hands on her hips defensively, "Are you serious? We are just about the last people in the world who have any right to judge and you two _know it_!"

The feline flattened his ears, "But dat's us and dis is him! What were you tinkin' Jess?!"

"I was thinking that maybe we could give this kid a shot!" Jessie growled, tears welling in her eyes, "Think about it; if someone, just one person, had shown any of us a little mercy, a little compassion, would we have ended up how we did?!"

James' shoulders sank slightly and he clenched his jaw, hating to admit out loud how good of a point she had. Peering around the basket, he glanced at their charge, a look of concentration on the boy's face and turning back, sighed loudly.

"Alright." he said.

Persian huffed, "Yer not serious Jim?!"

Jessie raised a finger, "Let's make a deal. We'll all keep an eye on him. If he tries anything, he's gone. Until then, we give him a chance. Sound fair?"

"What is wit you lately Jessie?!" Persian grumbled, "You've been actin' funny-yer all over de place, eatin' like a Grumpig...although dat ain't unusual, I guess... givin' dis stupid brat a job instead of a beatin'..."

"Oh shut it cat!" she spat, "Charlie's our employee now and until he gives us a reason not to, we're going to trust him!"

With a shake of his head before padding away to continue work on the balloon, Persian said, "Fine. But when n' if he pulls anyting I'm gonna give him a lil' souvenir on his way out!" He unsheathed his long claws and made a quick slashing motion to drive home his point.

Jessie turned back to James and raised an eyebrow at him, who sighed and scuffed his shoe on the floor, "...I'll trust your judgment this time. I just hope you're right."

Charlie's hands clenched the broom handle. Though he had not heard their entire conversation, he had finally caught enough snatches of their words to be able to piece together the nature of their argument. Of course they didn't trust him-no one did, though to be entirely fair this was not without reason. _'Stupid, stupid, stupid...'_ he thought angrily, _'You knew as soon as they found out they would hate you...'_

A half-hour later, the balloons were fully inflated, checked over, and ready to go. Jessie walked over to a control panel on the wall by the rolling doors, tapped several keys and watched as said doors rumbled upwards along their rails. James and Persian held onto the ropes dangling from the balloons' railings as they carefully guided them out the doors. Fascinated by the process, Charlie paused his sweeping and watched as well. Persian glanced over at him and folded his ears back.

"Is dat floor done yet?" he asked, an edge to his voice.

Still not used to a talking Pokemon and caught off guard, the young man started, nearly dropping his broom before going back to his task at a quickened pace.

Several hours and several dozen passengers later, they closed temporarily for lunch. In this time, Charlie had not only swept the entire ground floor and offices, but mopped them as well. Before she ran out the front door to go pick them up some lunch, Jessie paused as she admired the gleaming wood.

"This is excellent!" she praised him, "Great job. I say you've earned yourself a break-stick around though because I have more things you can help with. I'll be back soon with food!"

With those hurried words, she was gone and Charlie suddenly found himself uncomfortably alone with the two that had quite clearly expressed their dislike of him. James and Persian were relaxing in the shade by the open doors and coming up with jokes to help entertain passengers. Making a wide circle to avoid them, the young man tried to quietly slink past them and outside, but before he could escape James looked up at him.

"Hey uh...where are you headed?" he asked.

"Just...out...around." replied Charlie lamely.

Persian again flattened his ears, "I tink ya should stick around where we can see ya. I dunno about you wanderin' off on yer own..."

"...I heard you guys earlier..." Charlie balled his hands into fists, and before he could rationally think about what he wanted to say, all of the bottled-up pain he had recently known poured out in his words, "Three years ago my dad was laid off from his job. He looked around for another one but no one would take him. Then he started drinking...a little at first, just to 'ease the stress', he said. But when he still couldn't get a job, he started drinking more and more. My mom was working by this point and would come home to find him passed-out drunk. I tried to do what I could to help...doing housework and helping my dad to his room when he couldn't walk anymore. He'd always tell me things were going to get better...but they didn't..." his voice shaky, he wiped a sleeve across his face and continued to relate his story, "They started fighting, like all the time, and would drag me into the middle. They started blaming me, saying it was my fault, that if it wasn't for me they wouldn't have to worry so much about money. When they started hitting me I finally had enough and ran away. That was almost two years ago."

He finally turned his gaze to James and Persian, who by this time were staring at him with stunned expressions, "I've been on my own on the streets all this time, earning what little money I could, and yeah, stealing food when I was desperate, hiding out in abandoned sheds and buildings, waking up under piles of newspapers and rags trying to muster the will to get up and try to survive another day," his hazel eyes sharpened even as tears streamed from them, "And in all that time, Ms. Jessie was the first and only person to give me a kind word, to treat me as a human being and not another piece of garbage in the gutter! She's the first person to give me a chance, to give me hope! I would rather _die_ than betray such kindness and if you don't believe me that's fine but there's the truth!"

Persian looked away, humbled, and James hung his head in shame. Jessie was right; they had no right to judge this boy based on his theft of some fruit to keep from starving...had they themselves not stolen, or attempted to steal, much worse? And had it not even been for basic survival, but for glory and riches?

James slowly got to his feet and approached the still-shaking young man, "Charlie? We're sorry. You and Jessie are both right. But nonetheless, I don't think you can completely blame us."

Charlie simply shook his head, and now it was Persian's turn to contribute, "We'll tell ya a secret; we was once a buncha no-good crooks."

"Wait...what? Really?"

Persian nodded, "Yeah. Dat was how Jess was able ta notice what you was doin' and catch ya; takes one ta know one, heh!"

Feeling more at ease, Charlie relaxed and gave them a half-hearted smile, "Guess that makes this the former thieves club, huh?"

By the time Jessie returned, the three males were sitting around, laughing and talking together, Charlie now fully accepted as one of the crew. She paused and smiled at 'her' boys, a content warmth in her heart before yelling to break it up and get eating before the afternoon shift.


	8. New Recruits

Over the next couple weeks, business increased even more, prompting them to hire several more people for the specialized jobs they couldn't cover themselves when things got too busy; Rachael, a slight, energetic, smart-as-a-whip young lady was hired to help with office work, customer service, boarding and unboarding as needed, as well as PR. In all these she excelled and quickly became an invaluable help, as well as a friend and confidant for Jessie.

Marty was a middle-aged gentleman and slightly eccentric character who loved to wear an elaborate, feather-plumed hat and refused to pass through a doorway until tapping it three times, but as a trained pilot and crop-duster he was unsurpassed. Though he had never worked a hot-air balloon before, on his first flight he swiftly mastered the craft, greatly impressing the trio.

Victor, a tall, tattooed, gruff but nonetheless friendly man was brought on board because of his mechanical prowess, and though he was usually a man of few words, his skills with machines spoke volumes for him. James was especially thrilled with his skill and the two men often traded tips and stories.

Charlie, having no where to live, took up residence in an as-yet unused office area in a corner of the main floor and was put in charge of keeping the area clean and organized-which sometimes involved putting away the tools that Victor had forgotten to. Also in this time they built one more balloon to accommodate the increased crowds, this one was in the shape of a Wobbuffet, much to the blue Pokemon's shy delight.

One morning during this prosperous period, James was standing outside the bathroom door, towel in hand and leaning against the frame, "For the love of Arceus! How much longer are you going to be, Jessie? I need to get in there too. I knew we're closed today but we still have things to do!"

The door opened and she glared at him, "Here."

"...Are you okay? You look so pale."

"For the millionth time I'm _fine!"_ she irritably said, pushing past him, "It's just stress! My nerves are on edge from all the extra work lately. This is still all new to us, don't forget."

He looked at her as she stomped away and couldn't help the worried knot in the pit of his stomach. The past couple weeks, she had started acting off as Persian had pointed out and the last few days she had been spending more time in the bathroom than usual, always emerging looking like she was about to be sick. But until she decided to say what the problem was or it went away, he knew full well there wasn't much he could do. So, with a sigh he went in the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

Going to her purse sitting on the kitchen table, she thrust a hand inside to find the notebook in which she had jotted several important business notes and scowled at nothing in particular, loathe to admit she too was starting to grow nervous. For several days now, her stomach had felt awful when she first awoke and for a couple hours afterward, but then would soon dissipate. Once she felt better however, her appetite was stronger than she could recall it being in ages. She paused her search to yawn and shook her head to clear it of the grogginess that still clung to her. That was another problem; feeling tired so much of the time. Both of these things she attributed to nerves, however as time passed she grew increasingly unable to completely believe herself.

Finally finding her notebook, she plucked it out, but not before spilling several other items onto the table with it. Cursing, she snatched them up and started to stuff them back in when she froze, eyes locked on the one particular thing in her grasp. Staring at it, little pieces in her mind began to form a larger picture and she dashed to the nearby wall calendar, running her finger along the dates and muttering to herself before gasping. She had been so preoccupied with getting Three Roses off the ground that she had never even noticed...

"Wait...no! Oh, no no no...it can't be..."

Spinning around, she clutched her hands over her heart, the tampon she had been holding dropping to the floor, "No...I'm imaging things right? Right. It's just stress. Yeah, just a lot of stress," beginning to pace back and forth through the hall, she continued to reassure herself, "Stress does a lot of things to you, right? Okay. Good. Yes. That's all. But still...considering all the times that we've...what if...? Oh-!"

Dashing back the table, she grabbed a pen and one of the pages of her notebook and hastily scribbled a note before grabbing her purse and running out the door. When James emerged from the bathroom a little later, whistling happily and rubbing his hair with a towel, he spied the note and picked it up to read it aloud to himself.

"'Had to make quick run to store-brb'," he exhaled, "What the...?"

The day was warm and sunny, with crowds of people going about their morning business and a buzz of energy in the air. Jessie, however, felt chilled. Her face was calm, a sharp contrast from the storm of emotion raging in her head and heart as she slowly trudged home. The bag she carried contained such a small item, but an item that could change everything. She had been half-tempted to steal it, partly out of old habits and also to ensure that no one she knew could possibly see her. In the end her conscious had won out and she slapped her money on the counter, muttering to keep the change and darted out before the clerk could ask if she was sure. Finally arriving back at the building, she stealthily crept inside thinking she had gone undetected, but just as shut the door behind her a sudden voice made her jump.

"Oh, there you are Ms. Jessie. James and Persian were wondering where you had gone." said Charlie.

She whipped around wearing the most convincing smile she could manage, "Hey kid! Well, I did leave a note...um, do you know where they are, by chance?"

"They're outside looking over one of the unloading platforms, I think."

"Okay, good! Thanks! Uh, will you excuse me? Got some-stuff to do. Keep up the good...whatever it is you're doing! Later!"

With that she bounded up the stairs before he could say anything else, leaving him standing there with a confused expression. Reaching their apartment area, she tossed her bag in the nearest corner and ducked into the bathroom, locking the door. Several agonizing minutes later, she grabbed the item off of the sink and took one look at it before her shoulders slumped.

"Well...shit..."

Later that afternoon, Persian and Charlie were touching up the paint job on one of the balloons while Jessie and James took the opportunity to get some paperwork done and re-organize their office. The former, however, had found it very difficult to concentrate on much of anything, dodging James' occasional questions and trying her best to get something useful accomplished. Sitting at her desk, listlessly putting some papers into their proper folders, she was unable to take it anymore and finally snapped.

Turning slightly in her chair, she said, "James? We're...going to need another desk."

He paused from his typing and looked up at her curiously, "Wait, you hired someone else? When?"

"No, I didn't hire anyone! I mean...we need another desk...for another person..." she moved her hands in a coaxing gesture.

He stared at her blankly and everything, all the shock and disbelief, all the tears, all the emotions she had had pent up the entire day exploded into her next shouted statement.

 _"I mean I'm pregnant you idiot!"_

She slapped her hands over her mouth, face red and James' own mouth fell open, the pen he had just picked up falling from his grasp.

Silence stretched between them for what felt like ages before James, in a quiet, strained voice, asked, "Did...did you just say...?"

She nodded quickly, hands still over her mouth before she removed them to say, "I found out this morning...turns out that's the real reason I've felt weird lately."

He continued to gape silently at her, his face nearly expressionless as her words were still bouncing around in his skull, trying to sink in.

Shaking, her heart racing, she clutched the hem of her skirt and glared back at him, tears blurring her vision, "Would you please say something instead of just staring at me like that?! I don't know what to do right now and I can't tell if you're upset or angry or what and-"

Before she could say any more, he had crossed the space between them, standing so fast he nearly knocked his chair over and pulled her to her feet, holding her tightly against himself and crushing his lips to hers.

Breaking away, in between additional wet, tear-stained kisses he softly said, "Jess, why would I be anything but happy?! Th-this is wonderful! Unexpected, yes, but-"

"Why?! Because we didn't plan for this? Because we don't know the first thing about kids?!" still shaking, she gripped his shirt and took deep breaths, trying to calm down.

"Well, no, and yes, but...we can learn, right? There's books for this, and we can talk to people who have them already, and-"

She pulled away and glared at him, "Reading about kids is one thing, actually having one is a very different matter! There's a lot to consider!"

He held out his hands, "But, our business is doing well and we have plenty of money now! We have a house too!"

"Here's what we don't have that everyone else does; family! A family that can help us and teach us and be there for advice when we need it!"

Stomping over to the window that looked out over their landing field, she leaned against the frame, hugging her arms and said, "What are we going to do...?"

She half-watched several Ladyba flitting around a nearby tree as her thoughts continued to swirl. Although it was true she had always dreamed of one day getting married and starting a family of her own, now, with those things out of her neatly planned order and suddenly thrown in front of her, she couldn't help the uncertainty and fear that raced through her brain.

James cautiously stepped closer, reaching out to lay his hand on her shoulder, desperately wanting to hold her but knowing she still needed a moment. His mind flashed back to that vision he had the night Jessie cradled a whimpering Persian against herself as they were trying to discover the truth about his former employer and he wondered; could it still possibly come true? That deeply ingrained fear of marriage that had been literally beaten into him had still haunted his plans all this time, but now...

Finally, he said, "I know...what I'd like to do."

Jessie turned her head toward him ever so slightly, "What?"

"...Start picking out names."

For the first time, she smiled and even laughed, if shakily, "You know if you name something you have to keep it."

"I know."

"Are we really doing this?" she turned around fully and allowed him to hug her.

Folding her in his arms, he kissed her forehead, "I...guess so?"

Laughing more now, tears streaming down her face and hugging him back, she said, "You better start picking out some good ones! Nothing stupid! ...I still say this is insane. We have no clue what we're doing."

"Well, we have what, nine months to work out the basics? And after that, we'll just have to do our best..."

Wiping her eyes, she said, "I guess we finally have a use for that spare bedroom, huh?"

A short time later, they came down the stairs and found Persian doing some touch-up work on one balloon's propellers.

"Hey Persian?" called James as they approached and he slipped his hand into Jessie's.

He turned around and pushed up his goggles with one paw, mumbling through the wrench he was still holding in his jaws, "Hmm? Whuzzup?"

The two humans glanced at each other, beginning to snicker like kids themselves while Persian waited with growing impatience.

Finally he flattened his ears and huffed, "Whuz goin' ahn? I shwaer ya betta shay whu it ish right now!"

Still giggling, Jessie fanned herself to calm down before saying, "Persian? How would you feel about being an uncle?"

"Eh? Whudaya mean? I dunno whu..." his eyes widened and his mouth fell open, the wrench hitting the floor with a loud clang as he realized what they were implying, "Really?!"

"Really!" laughed James, "Congratulations, Uncle Persian!"

The feline's expression swiftly melted from shock to a sarcastic sneer, and they suspected a smart remark of some sort was on it's way when Persian proved them right with, "Weeeell! Dat certainly didn't take youse two long! Looks like I was right afta all!"

James rolled his eyes while Jessie flushed red and made a fist, "Hey! I'm warning you, cat!"

"Sooo Jess, ya neva did answer my question; is it a boy or a girl?"

"That's it!" snarled Jessie, taking off after Persian as he darted away laughing.

James bit his lip and called after her, "Wait! Take it easy! Remember you should probably try and be careful now that..." with a sigh of defeat he added to himself, "Oh, who am I kidding? There's no stopping her."

Charlie wandered inside at this time, pushing their lawn mower ahead of him but paused as he heard the ruckus and watched Jessie futilely attempt to catch the swifter and more agile Pokemon.

"Umm...what's going on?" the boy wondered aloud.

Folding his arms, James answered with a weary tone, "Just business as usual."


	9. Best Laid Plans

That evening they decided to head out to a carnival that was going on along the waterfront to celebrate. After telling Charlie the news and nearly having to pry him off after several rounds of congratulatory hugs, with Persian even threatening to perforate his arms, they invited him along but he declined.

"Nah, this is a special occasion for you guys...I don't want to interfere. Have fun! I...have a letter I've been meaning to write, anyway."

With that settled, they headed out and a couple hours later, after stuffing their faces, playing a few games-James could not, unfortunately, repeat the success he had had in Slateport and thus left the game area empty-handed; riding some select rides and enjoying a stunt show, they were walking along the boardwalk when they heard a loud crack and saw a flash of bright light out over the water. Pausing to look along with several other groups of people, they swiftly realized a fireworks show had started.

"Oh! It's been so long since I've seen fireworks!" Jessie cried in delight, rushing to the railings and leaning on them to get a good view.

Her companions wandered over to rest on the wood railing beside her, Persian standing on his hind legs and James crossing his arms across the top beam to rest his chin on them. They watched in silence for a few minutes, save for Jessie's occasional gasp whenever there was a particularly impressive display.

James' gaze wandered to her, face illuminated by the showers of shimmering light, bits of star-shine reflected in her blue eyes, her smile more brilliant than anything in front of them. His heart swelled and he made up his mind; this time he was really going to ask her and no matter what, come hell or high water nothing was going to get in his way. Twice now in the past couple weeks he had thought he found the perfect moment, but in the first, his courage had failed him and the second they had been interrupted by a group of children racing past on their bikes, nearly running them over. He ended up having to hold her back from chasing them down and possibly carrying out the various bodily threats she had screamed after them.

As if possessed, his hand moved to his pocket and he cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Jessie? Would you...come with me for a minute?"

She shot him a curious, mildly annoyed look, "I'm not going to miss any of this, am I?"

"No, not at all."

Persian turned his head, "Hey, what about me? Where youse two runnin' off ta?"

For a moment he scrambled to think of an excuse to temporarily rid themselves of their furry friend, but then something in his head and heart realized that Persian belonged, that he had every right to be a part of this. He was as much a part of their odd little family as either of them, after all.

Thus he said, "You're invited too, pal. But do us both a favor; cut the snide comments, okay?"

Taking her hand, he gently led her away and after a short walk found an area further down the boardwalk devoid of prying eyes. Turning to face her, his heart racing like a mad thing and internally repeating the speech he had agonized over for countless hours lest he screw it up, he now took both her hands in his and swallowed loudly.

"My dear Jessica..." he began, hoping his voice wasn't shaking too much nor his hands too sweaty.

Her eyes widened slightly; he had only used her given name a couple precious, dire times before. It had become an unspoken understanding that such an address should only be used in the most serious of situations and him using it now, with the poorly veiled fear in his eyes and feeling him tremble through the grip he had on her hands, had her mind racing as to what this could be about. Terrible, dark thoughts swam through her mind but she shoved them aside.

Persian, realizing this was a very somber moment, decided to respect James' request to hold off on the commentary and even to keep his mouth shut entirely. For now, at least, he thought with a smirk.

"Yes?" she asked.

Now he laughed, a short, nervous sound before returning to a more even tone and continued, "We've been together for a long time. So long in fact, it's getting harder to remember when we weren't. For ages I felt only deep friendship and respect for you but then...it melted into something more. Like you I tried to bury it, at first, but I wasn't as strong. I couldn't fight it, only hope and pray that one day, we could be something more, too..."

He let go with one hand and reached for the tiny box in his pocket, "And I...I was h-hoping that-"

Between his shaking and hands clammy from sweat, the box slipped from his grasp and bounced a couple times around their feet. With a wail of terror and panic, he threw himself to the ground and pounced, tackling the object and pinning it down to avoid any further escape. Jessie and Persian had taken a step back, startled by his sudden outburst. Shoulders sinking, he turned around and pulled himself to his feet, cursing himself; of course he'd mess up. It took him a moment to realize the box had flipped open to reveal it's contents, which Jessie's eyes were now fixed upon, one hand half-raised to her mouth in disbelief.

"Is...is that?!" she gaped.

Persian stared at it too, his own mouth wide open and struggling to keep quiet as he thought, _'Well I'll be an Aipom's uncle! He actually did it!'_

James bit his lip, "Yes, it is...well, this didn't go according to plan, but hey, story of our lives, right? Where was I...?"

In horror he realized the rest of his speech had fled his mind. This mishap had broken his concentration so much that now, no matter how hard he struggled to recall it, it was gone. As he scrambled to think of what to say, what words were possibly sufficient to express his feelings, looking into her eyes a new set of words came to him then, ones right from his heart...

Drawing a deep breath, he said, "Jessie, you're my best friend, my partner, my confidant. Recently, you've become my lover as well. And now...you're the mother of our child...I w-was wondering, hoping..."

Taking the delicate ring from it's case, he slipped it on her finger as tears ran from her eyes and smiled nervously, "Would you be my wife as well...?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than she squealed an enthusiastic, "YES!"

As if on cue, an especially large display of fireworks burst into the night sky, bathing them in shimmering light. Throwing her arms around him and laughing giddily, she grabbed in such a powerful hug that his toes momentarily left the ground and he found himself having a hard time breathing. Thankfully this quickly stopped, and still giggling, she went back and forth from admiring her ring to hugging or kissing him, utterly oblivious to the nearby people giving them curious stares.

Relaxing somewhat, Jessie reached up and rested her arms across his shoulders, "I never dreamed that...I never thought you'd ask me to marry you! After all, with what you've been through and quite clearly, so I thought, expressed a few times...I'd been trying to come to terms with the fact that it might never happen."

"And I wasn't sure I'd ever find the courage, or right moment, to ask!" he laughed, "I've tried and failed twice now...third time's the charm, right?"

A loud snuffling caught their attention, and they turned to see Persian holding one paw over his face as tears streamed down it, "I-I can't believe dis!" he sobbed, looking up at them with a huge smile, "My lil' Jess and Jimmy all grown up, gettin' married an' havin' kittens of der own! I'm so happy for youse two!"

The two humans caught each other's gaze and grinning, rolled their eyes, Jessie saying, "Thank you, Uncle Persian."

A loud pop was heard, followed by an even louder cry of "Woooobuffet!" as the blue Pokemon appeared, a wide grin across his face and tears flowing as he hugged both humans together, then stepped back to clap his arms together, still babbling.

Persian translated, "He says ta congratulate ya, and dat he's never ben happier. Oh...and dat he wants ta be in de weddin'."

"Of course you can, Wobbuffet!" laughed Jessie, bending to give him a kiss on his head, to which the Pokemon blushed, "Maybe you can be the ring bearer or something."

Wobbuffet puffed out his chest and saluted before Jessie recalled him.

James said, "Well now that the hardest part's over, we can start to plan things. I have no idea how to go about, well, anything...but I suppose a fall wedding would be lovely, with the leaves being all red and gold, and the air being pleasantly crisp."

Standing, Persian said, "I tink I'd look great in a deep orange or burgundy get-up!"

"Oooh no! We're doing this as soon as possible-the sooner the better!" declared Jessie.

"Um...w-why? What's the rush?" James stammered, some of that nervousness creeping forward again.

"Because if I'm going to look my absolute best, it's important we have the wedding before our new team member's presence becomes...obvious," she coughed significantly, "I never imagined I'd be having a shot-gun wedding but since it can't be helped I'm going to make the best of it!...wait a minute..."

Pulling away, her face hardened, "You're not marrying me solely out of a sense of 'duty' or some such thing, are you?!"

The pained and heartbroken look in his eyes answered her question before he even had a chance to speak, "What? Jessie, no! I-I wanted to ask you for a couple weeks now! Remember when we were out for an evening walk that one day and I said I had to ask you something important?" he hung his head, "That was the first time I tried, but I chickened out."

" _That_ was what that was about...?"

"Yes. And then remember the day we almost got run over by that group of kids on bikes? ...I was going to ask you until they so rudely interrupted us."

There was no doubt in her mind he was being truthful, and she stepped back up to him, slipping her arms around his neck and touching her forehead to his, "I believe you. I'm sorry. Blame the hormones," she sighed, "And they're only going to get worse."

"Don't worry Jess, we're used ta yer moods." Persian chimed in.

Her only response to that was to shoot him a withering glare, and in a much calmer manner said to her now fiance, "I still stand by my plan of doing this as soon as possible."

James rubbed the back of his neck, "O-okay...I see your point. Well, um, we can start scouting locations tomorrow. We can also talk to that little bakery down the street-they make delicious cakes!" he began to count on his fingers, "And then there's the flowers. Oh, and our clothes of course. Rings...officiant...oh dear. This is going to be a lot of work..."

"I was gonna go help Francine tomorrow-I can see if she knows any good places!" Persian offered.

"Thanks buddy!" James scratched his ears, "That would be great."

The feline purred with contentment, then suddenly stopped, "Wait-ya can't have a party without people! Who's comin' ta dis ting anyway?"

Jessie tapped her chin, "Well, um...Charlie, Rachael, Marty, Victor...why not Francine too? And of course our Pokemon. Hmm..." she crossed her arms, "This is going to be a very intimate affair, indeed."

"I could always invite my parents." said James with a dry smile.

Jessie shot him a sideways, 'you're-joking-right?' look, "Oh, I'm sure that would go over well," mocking his voice and strutting in a circle she said, "Ah yes, mother and father! Please come to my wedding! Oh, no, I'm not marrying that whip-wielding psychopath after all, for you see I intend to marry this other redhead that happens to look very much like her! Oh, and she's also pregnant with my child! Surprise! Won't it just be a most delightful affair?!"

During her little demonstration, James and Persian began to giggle and by the end were shaking in fits of laughter. Jessie did a little bow and James folded her in his arms again.

"I do not sound like that!" he snorted in feigned outrage, then said in a more serious tone, "It doesn't matter how many or how few guests are there. What matters is us...and how much I love you."

Jessie beamed at him, "I know. And you're right; it doesn't matter. I'm still going to be the beautiful, shining star of the show!"

"We know..." sighed both the males, Wobbuffet appearing again with an enthusiastic cry.


	10. Full Swing

The next day during the daily morning 'business meeting', as they and their few employees sat in the other spare downstairs office, they decided to relate their good news.

Jessie shuffled her papers back together, "And so, we're expecting more growth, but slower now that the initial 'newness' has worn off."

"People know we're here now, but dat doesn't mean we can stop tryin' ta bring 'em in. I'm workin' on some ideas for dat," said Persian, "If anyone else's got anyting, let us know."

"If I may," James cleared his throat, "I'm pleased to announce that's not all we're...expecting."

Rachael cocked her head, her pigtails flopping to one side. Charlie scratched his own head, catching Rachael's eye in a 'I-don't-get-it' glance. Victor crossed his arms and 'hmm'd in his throat per his usual manner. Only Marty felt he understood and jumped to his feet, his wide-brimmed hat bouncing on his head.

"Does this mean- a new member shall be joining our little enterprise?! My dear, dearest Jessie and my boss," he darted forward and took her hand, kissing it before looking up at her, eyes dancing, "Do you-do you mean to say that you are incubating a tiny merging of hearts?!"

Jessie flushed lightly and snapped her mouth shut that had been hanging open. His manner of speaking and choice of words could be confusing and disjointed at times, but in this case she could decipher it.

"Yes, I am."

"Woooooopeee!" cried Marty, throwing his hat in the air and doing a little jig around the room.

Rachael suddenly gasped and stood as well, "M-Ms Jessie! Are you 'expecting', expecting?!"

James put his arm around her and she said, "Yeah, we just found out-"

"Eeeeeek! Oh my goodness!" the red-haired girl squealed and ran up to Jessie, hugging her and then James, "Congratulations! Both of you! This is wonderful! Oh I'm so happy for you two! Aah, I hope to have children of my own someday..."

Charlie was the next to approach and offer his congratulations, flushing shyly himself as Jessie hugged him in thanks. He went to shake James' hand, but the man laughed and grabbed him in a hug as well as Persian crowed about never imaging he'd be an uncle.

Only Victor remained seated. Charlie caught the large man's gaze and smiled warmly, gesturing with his head to join them. Victor shook his head slightly, his expression remaining an unwavering, chiseled poker-face until he glanced at Jessie, who had subconsciously placed her hands over her belly as she happily chattered to her group of admirers. Slowly, his face softened and he even grinned, wiping several tears from his eye. Charlie gaped at him; he had never seen him show much emotion at all. Suddenly, Victor shot him a look that said 'you never saw that', yet with a tiny smile, and Charlie simply nodded, an understanding forming between them.

Later that day, Persian was walking along the sidewalk next to Francine in the afternoon sunshine, carrying a bag across his back and enjoying her stories of how the city used to be years ago.

"...but that place has been gone for ages! Goodness, I've been rambling today. How goes things at Three Roses, my dear Persian?"

"Well," the feline sneered, "Jim finally got up de nerve ta ask Jess ta marry him!"

"Oh ho now! Well, don't leave an old woman guessing! What did she say?!"

"She said yes, a' course! She's been itchin' ta get hitched fer a while."

Francine clapped her hands together and merrily swung her cane in a circle, nearly clipping a passerby, "Woo-hoo! I knew it! I saw how those two looked at each other! I'm so happy for them. Although," she elbowed Persian and winked mischievously, I have to say; I'm kinda disappointed that hunk is off the market, heh heh heh!"

Casually laying her arm across his neck as they walked, she continued, "So tell me, where and when is the main event?"

"Dey haven't figured dat out yet. Heh, ta biggest decision is probably gonna be Jess's dress!"

Francine got a twinkle in her eye, "Do you think they'd like to have it at the Woodruff? I do have a lovely ballroom after all, and that poor thing never gets enough use."

"Really?" Persian asked, "Tanks a bunch Franny! I'll have ta talk ta de bosses."

She chuckled, "It'd be my pleasure! Besides, it's been ages since I've been to a wedding! I'm itching to get out my dancing shoes again!"

As soon as he returned home, Persian told 'de bosses' of Francine's offer, and they immediately jumped at the idea.

"An elegant ballroom! Can you imagine it?!" Jessie almost swooned, and standing, twirled in a circle.

James smiled at her while asking, "Persian, did she say how much it'd be to rent...?"

"Come ta tink of it...no, she didn't."

James hummed, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair, "Hmmm. We'll have to find that out," he ignored the pout Jessie was shooting him and said, "We need to head in that direction in the morning anyway, so we'll just stop in and ask."

The following day greeted them with rain and a fierce wind, making their trip an unpleasant one, nonetheless they made it to their destination relatively unscathed. As they darted inside the Woodruff's heavy oak doors and shut them behind them, shaking out their soaking ponchos, Robert and Francine, both working at the front desk, looked up.

"Well I'll be-! It's you three! Hello there!" said Robert with a wide grin.

"Oh ho now!" laughed the old woman, getting down from her ladder and shuffling closer to them, "The chicks have returned to the nest! Heh heh! Hey Robert, would you be a dear and get us all some hot tea?"

With a quick salute, Robert waddled off, "It'd be my pleasure, ma'am!"

Francine turned back to them, "Now, what can we do for you this lovely day?"

Persian rubbed his head against her out-stretched hand, "Mornin', Franny!"

"Yes, good morning!" added Jessie, "Well, first off, thank you for your generous offer of renting the ballroom to us...obviously Persian already told you the happy news."

"He did! I can offer my congratulations in person now. So, here's to you two! Heh heh, I knew it!" she winked, "I saw the looks on your faces when I mistook you for already being married! I told myself then and there it was only a matter of time."

James said warmly as he grasped Jessie's hand, "Thank you. Now, um, we had a question..."

"Yes?"

"How much would it cost to rent?"

Francine paused, her expression impossible to read before turning and starting to shuffle away, "Would you like to see it before you decide for sure?"

They agreed and followed her to a set of carved doors down the hall. Taking a key from her pocket, she unlocked it and effortlessly threw them open. The trio gaped, Jessie recovering her senses quickest as she darted into the vast space.

"This! Is! PERFECT!" she cried.

James and Persian stared. The room was stunningly opulent, with mirrored panels lining the walls, reflecting the light from several shimmering crystal chandeliers, the largest of which hung from the middle of the room above the center of the exotic, tropical-wood dance floor. Thick velvet drapes hung between the panels and from the corners, and the carpet encircling room up to the dance floor was marbled with an elaborate, delicate floral pattern.

"Dis place is somethin' else!" marveled Persian.

James had to take several deep breathes to calm himself; this space reminded him a bit too much of the stuffy ballrooms of his youth, and yet...

Francine smiled with amusement at Jessie twirling herself across the room, "Well, it seems as if the bride approves!"

Making it back to the group, Jessie pressed her hands over her heart and sighed, "It's perfect! magnificent! We'll take it!"

At that moment, seeing the shine and sheer happiness in her eyes, James didn't care anymore. Even if it was expensive, even if it felt too much like his past for comfort, he didn't care. It would make her happy, and it would make a memory that would last for the rest of their lives, and that was all that mattered.

"Agreed." he said.

"Good!" said Francine proudly, "I'll need to know how many people you plan on attending, and I'll need a date so I can make sure it's free, the sooner you know the better. Now, let's go have that tea!"

She began to make her way to the door when James asked, "Wait, um...we still need to know how much it'll cost."

Francine stopped, turning her head to peer at them over her shoulder, a kind, almost loving smile on her face, "If you'll allow it...consider it my wedding gift to you."

The group stared in disbelief, flabbergasted at her offer.

Jessie found her voice first, "Really?!"

"Are you certain?!" said James.

Persian looked at them, "Heh, why not? Afta all, she is offerin'!"

"But surely it's too much to ask!" insisted James.

"Let me put it this way," Francine said, taking a couple steps back toward them and looking up at the central chandelier, "When I was younger and my dear Arthur was alive, there used to be parties here often. Weddings, social events, fundraisers, you name it. It was a lot of work, but I loved it. One of my favorite parts was always seeing how happy everyone was. As the years wore on, and especially after he passed away, there were less and less parties," she glanced toward some unseen thing in her memory, her expression becoming bitter for a moment, "Newer, more 'modern' and 'chic' places were built, and people took their events to them instead of us."

She looked back to them, "It's been far too long since this space has seen a wedding. I'm getting on in years, and perhaps it's a little selfish, but it would truly mean a lot to me to see one here again, to see such happiness fill this place once more. Of course, ultimately it's up to you, but the offer is there," she winked, "And truthfully, I really like you three-even though I've got no chance with you, James, heh heh!"

"In that case-" said James.

"We'd love to!" Jessie giggled.

Francine grinned as they grabbed each other's hands and practically danced with excitement, rapid-fire chattering about their plans.

"This is incredible!" laughed Jessie.

"We have to start the invitations!" James grinned.

"And I need to start dress-shopping!"

"This will save us a bundle!"

"Mm-hm! Especially with the baby on the way, we'll need to-"

They froze, realizing what she had just revealed and that they still had an audience. Slowly, in unison, they looked at Francine, who was staring at them with a startled expression.

"Oh my..." she quipped.

Persian slapped his forehead with one paw, "Good job, ya numbskulls!"

Jessie and James quickly went into damage-control mode, waving their hands and Jessie stuttering, "W-well, what we mean is, we um-"

"W-We're _planning_ on a baby! Not that she's already e-expecting or anything! N-no!" James added with a nervous, high-pitched laugh.

Francine gave them a wry smile, "Oh, hush! I may be older than dirt, but I'm not _that_ old-fashioned. I don't care and I'm not going to judge you. In fact, let me offer you my second congratulations of today, heh heh! Now then," she turned away, "Let's have that tea before it gets cold."


	11. Nuptial Nonsense

AN: I AM SO SO SORRY THIS TOOK ME SO LONG TO GET OUT :( Between writer's block, being very sick, and just busy it's been difficult. I made this chapter a bit longer to make up for it. Again, I'm sorry and please don't give up on me! I PROMISE this story will be finished.

* * *

The next couple weeks were even more exhausting and busy then the previous ones had been, for now in addition to running Three Roses, they scrambled about putting their wedding plans in action as well. They had agreed to postpone having a 'real' honeymoon until after their baby arrived-after all, Jessie had reasoned, she couldn't drink, and what fun was a honeymoon if they couldn't have champagne?

On that same line of thought, among the running around, they managed to obtain a first appointment for Jessie and their new team member. To their relief, she got a glowing bill of health, but also to her horror she learned much more about the full scale of what they, especially herself, were getting into. They left the doctor's office with a sheaf of pamphlets that Jessie was already reading furiously. Rounding the corner, they found Persian sunning himself on the low-hanging tree limb where he had decided to pass the time. Hearing them approach, he hopped down.

"Well? How'd tings go?" he asked.

Jessie glanced up from her papers, "Everything's fine, thank goodness. But I was right-we need to have this wedding soon, because if this is accurate, I've only got a few good weeks left before my figure is ruined!"

She sighed dramatically, lowering the pamphlet and James gave her a sympathetic hug.

"It's okay Jess, you'll always look beautiful!" he said.

Shooting him a glare she sniffed, "Easy for you to say-this is your fault after all!"

"Wha-hey! Excuse me!? If I recall correctly, you've always been an enthusiastic participant whenever we-"

"Aaaaand dat's enough!" Persian interrupted, "C'mon, let's go..."

With the venue and date decided, the guests were alerted in person-after all, they worked with them, and their reactions went as expected-giddy excitement with the exception of Victor and his stoic acceptance of the invite. Persian volunteered to secure the cake and flowers, to which Jessie begrudgingly agreed, on the condition he not make any final decisions without their approval. She spent several days dress-shopping, becoming more and more frustrated at not finding 'the one'. More than once, poor Rachael, having accompanied her, had to calm her and apologize to the shop employees for Jessie's bluntness.

"You call this top-of-the-line?! Who are you trying to fool?" Jessie sniffed to one shop girl, holding up the tenth dress she had been brought,"This is cheap junk! Look at the stitching! And this is _certainly_ not genuine silk!"

"I-I'll see what else we have, miss..." the girl mumbled, shuffling away, Rachael mouthing 'I'm sorry' to her.

A few minutes later, the girl returned carrying a dress wrapped in plastic. Removing the wrap, she unfurled it and held it up. Jessie's eyes widened and she stood, rushing over and holding the train up to let the fabric shimmer in the light coming in from the window.

"There you are, my darling!" she joyfully cried, and then to the employee said resolutely, "I'll take it!"

Meanwhile, James wasn't fairing much better. While Jessie's problem had been knowing exactly what she wanted, James had far too many ideas.

"Well, since it's a summer wedding, I should wear a lighter color and fabric..." he held up a warm tan jacket in one hand and a cream one in the other, then looked at himself in the dressing room mirror, "But I must say, this charcoal get-up looks quite good on me, too. And then there's my tie-what color would be best? Or should I wear a bow-tie? Would a pocket square be too much? And what should I do with my hair?" his shoulders slumped, "Oh dear. Usually I know just what to wear but this time I'm at a loss!"

The older man that was assisting him stood patiently with a pile of jackets over his arm and said, "If I may sir, you've tried on nearly every suitable outfit we have. In my opinion, the ivory one you're holding would suit you quite well, although if it is to be a black-tie affair, obviously the one you're wearing would be better."

James smiled at him in the mirror, "Thank you. However," he tapped his chin, "I do believe I saw another lovely steel-gray ensemble near the counter. It had a unique cut that caught my eye. Could I try that one?"

"Of course, sir. I'll be back in a moment." said the employee, letting out an impatient sigh as he stepped out of the dressing area.

James hung up the two jackets he been holding on a nearby bar and looked back and forth at them.

"Which one?" he finally asked Persian despondently.

Persian looked around and walked over to another suit on display, "Didja see dis one?"

James looked up and suddenly grinned, "No, I didn't. But I think I'll take it!"

With all the major pieces of the puzzle finally assembled and secured, much of the strain of the past couple weeks lifted, allowing them to relax and enjoy the time before their 'big day'. Jessie, who had been on edge near constantly from the stress of planning, not to mention all the internal chaos she was going through, now found herself walking on air.

"Only four days to go!" she giggled one morning, marking the calendar, "I can't wait!"

James gripped his tea mug, heart racing, "M-me neither!"

She danced over, kissing his cheek before leaving the room, humming 'Here Comes the Bride'. Exhaling, he flopped into a chair, setting his mug down before he dropped it and lowered his head to the table, face in his hands. At first, he had felt only happiness; he had finally asked the woman he loved to marry him, he had made her dream come true as well as his...but then, as the days crept by, the fear and nervousness had begun to seep in. He felt stupid and ashamed, but he couldn't completely disassociate his real, upcoming nuptials from the ones he had escaped, and the nightmares that had haunted him for years.

Suddenly he felt a hand on his arm, "Jim?"

With a startled yelp he sat up to see it wasn't a hand, but Persian's paw.

"Whatsa matta?" the feline asked.

James quickly answered, "Nothing. I-I'm fine..."

"Ya don't look fine."

"I-I'm just, you know, I've got a lot on my mind, with our business and the baby and..." he swallowed loudly.

"De weddin'..?" Persian sighed, "Don't tell me ya got cold feet!"

"Fine! Yes!" wailed James, then slapped his hands over his mouth.

He paused to listen, and although he could hear the shower running and Jessie's sweet but off-key singing, he still kept his voice down to a fierce whisper, "You cannot breathe a word of this to anyone, _especially_ Jessie!"

Persian patted him on the head, "Don't you worry dat pretty blue head-"

"Lavender."

"Dat pretty lavender head a' yours! Yer secret is safe wit me. But what's dis about? I thought dat wit askin' her and all you was over dat whole ting."

Again James hung his head, "...So did I. But the closer it gets, the more nervous _I_ get. I'm supposed to be happy, and I am, but I can't rid myself of this anxiety," he swallowed hard to keep his voice steady, tears blurring his vision, "Jessie's been dreaming of this day for years and all I want is for everything to go perfectly. If she finds out how I'm feeling it'd break her heart...I'd rather jump into a pit of angry Ursuring than do that to her. I...don't know what to do."

Persian looked at him quietly as he wiped his face with a sleeve before saying, "Do ya love her?"

"With every fiber of my being." he answered firmly.

"In dat case, I don't tink ya got a ting to worry about!" Persian said with confidence.

James regarded him curiously, eventually asking, "And what brought you to that conclusion?"

"It's simple! You tink dat what you're worried about is everyting feelin' like yer gettin' hitched ta dat crazy lady ya got away from, but what's really botherin' ya is bein' nervous about bein' able ta make Jess happy! Ya said so yerself," Persian proudly puffed out his chest, "Don't worry Jim! I heard dat all human males get worried when dey get married! So for once, yer actually normal! And seein' as how I'm yer best man 'n all, I got yer back."

Unable to help himself and truly feeling better, James laughed and hugged the Pokemon, "And for once, I'll consider that a compliment! Thank you Persian. Maybe you're right. We'll see, I suppose..."

Four days later, the sun had just recently crept over the horizon, bathing the bedroom in pale, warm light. Jessie was snoring lightly, one hand under her head and the other subconsciously on her belly. James was already awake and had been for some time. Curled up against her back, arms around her, he gazed out the window at the breaking day and sighed.

"Here goes..." he mumbled.

She stirred then, murmuring in her half-awake state and rolled onto her back.

"Hmm. Good morning..." she yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Good morning, beautiful."

Jessie pulled a face and rested her forearm across her eyes, "Ugh, please. I always look terrible when I first wake up and you know it."

"...Then I guess I've never known that." he answered gently.

She moved her arm to gazed back at him, his own hair all mussed and tangled, stubble showing across his jawline, that soft, sweet, slightly melancholy smile she loved so much on his face. A powerful and sudden pang caused her heart to clench; one of joy and just a deep instinct of rightness. She felt her vision swim with the tears that welled there and through them saw his expression change to one of concern.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Never been better," she answered, sitting up and blinking her eyes clear, "Now then, if I'm right, isn't it bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding?"

He ignored the panic beginning to bubble in the back of his mind, instead cracking a joke, "Well, considering our history with luck, perhaps breaking the rules would end up working in our favor?"

Later, even though Three Roses was closed for the day, there was nevertheless a buzz of activity going on as they ran about, making sure they had everything and making last-minute phone calls to ensure everything was in order. Rachael had volunteered to come over and help Jessie get ready, and Charlie had happily done the same for James. Persian had gone on ahead to the Woodruff to get things ready and coordinate with the vendors, who had taken some time getting used to working with and taking commands from a talking Pokemon. Finally they had everything they needed and made their way to the hotel, pausing at the doors to glance at each other.

"Ready?" said Jessie, eyes glittering.

James nodded, wearing what he hoped was a confident smile.

"In that case, see you in a bit!"

Giggling, she pulled the door open and twirled inside, Rachel on her heels, who was precariously juggling several bags and boxes.

James hesitated before entering, raising his hand to the door then dropping it again. Charlie, who himself was carrying several items, frowned.

"You alright, James?"

"Oh, I'm fine!" he replied unconvincingly, "Y-you know, just nervous and all! Hahaha! Well, let's get t-this show on the road!"

He shoved open the doors and strode inside, Charlie right beside him as Robert greeted them excitedly and ushered them to a nearby, empty room.

In another room down the hall, Rachel had just helped Jessie into her dress and was lacing up the back.

"You look amazing! Like something straight from a fairy tale!" she sighed dreamily.

Jessie grinned into the large mirror propped in the corner of the room as she took out her usual green earrings and replaced them with delicate crystal drops, "Thank you! I knew as soon as I saw this dress it was the one! I was about to give up and make it myself..." she trailed off and layed her hands over her heart.

Rachel noted her suddenly stiff and quiet manner, "Ms. Jessie...?"

Jessie barely heard her, as she was lost in her own thoughts, staring at her reflection. Swathed in yards of shining silk, she stared, barely recognizing herself. Here she was, finally a bride after all the years of yearning, then bitterly crushing her own dreams and dismissing them as hopeless, then feeling them rekindle in these last few hectic months. And now here she stood, nearly ready for the wedding she feared would never happen. She swallowed back the tears that were forming-swollen red eyes were not something she needed right now.

"Um...Ms. Jessie? Hello?" said Rachel in another attempt to get her attention.

Snapping back to reality, Jessie swiftly composed herself, "Oh! Yes! Sorry, I was-just making sure I wasn't forgetting anything! After all-"

A knock at the door interrupted her and she yelled, "Who is it?!"

A muffled voice replied, and Rachel went to investigate. Cracking the door open, Francine poked her head in.

"Hello dear! I just wanted to drop by and see how you were doing and if you needed anything before I go and finish helping set up-oh!' she squealed and shuffled as fast as her legs could manage into the room, gazing admiringly at Jessie, "Why I'll be! Jessie dear you look simply stunning! Of course all brides are beautiful on their wedding day but I must say; you're exceptional."

Jessie grinned proudly and flipped a section of her hair, glancing at the neatly stacked pile near her, "Thank you Francine! I like to think so. And I do believe we're good here."

"Well then, time to get this party started!" cackling happily, Francine did a little jig on her way out the door.

Meanwhile, James had re-done his tie half a dozen times and couldn't decide which hair band to use.

"Does the white one look okay? Or should I go with the black for contrast?" he lamented to Persian and Charlie, the former of which had stopped by to make sure James wasn't having a full-blown panic attack.

Charlie tapped his chin, "Ummm..."

"Ah for heaven's sake Jim! Ain't no one gonna notice anyhow! Just wear da white one!"

"I'll notice! And Jessie definitely will. But I suppose you're right, Persian," James turned to the large mirror on the wall and swiftly tied his hair back, then spun back around and held his arms out, "Well...? What do you think?"

Pulling at the collar on his own suit, unaccustomed to such a garment, Charlie nodded, "I think you look awesome!"

"I hope so."

Hearing a knock, Charlie went to the door and asked, "Yes?"

On the other side, they could hear Robert saying, "Everything is all set up and ready to go! We're ready to get started whenever you are!" followed by a loud snuffling and a honking nose-blowing noise, "Sorry! I just love weddings!"

Charlie smiled excitedly at James, "Didja hear that? Let's go!"

For an instant, James wished he could melt into the carpet and disappear. This was it; no fleeing, no hiding, no turning back. That fear of entrapment, of being strangled by obligation and duty, was what had for so many years kept him running. Knowing he was completely free had many a time kept him warm on cold nights, held back the pangs of hunger, had been a soothing balm whenever they had failed. He briefly shook his head, shaming himself for even daring to compare his past with the present and the future he yearned for. Still, all the abuse he had endured had left it's scars that even now were difficult to erase.

Drawing a deep breath, he finally said, "I'm ready."


	12. Highs and Lows

Out behind the hotel, among the winding paths that snaked through the large formal gardens, a group of chairs had been set up facing a large arbor, it's weathered wood covered in thick tangles of ivy and fragrant bell-shaped blooms. An ancient, gnarled weeping cherry tree stood above and behind the arbor, it's long branches swaying in the breeze and soft pink petals drifting to the ground. The chairs were mostly occupied now with the limited but enthusiastic, chatting guests...except, of course, for Victor, who was sitting quietly with his arms crossed. The string quartet they had hired had set themselves up off to the side and after a bit of warming up were playing some ambient, cheerful tunes.

James stood just in front of the arbor, hands clasped behind his back, tapping his foot lightly and trying not to fidget too much. Weezing floated on one side of him wearing a bow-tie, while Persian, wearing his own bow-tie as well as a matching forest-green vest, stood tall on the other. Hearing him swallow loudly, Persian looked up.

"Take a breath before ya pass out, Jim!" the feline muttered.

Their officiant, a short, plump, jovial woman, patted James on the arm, "I've been doing this a long time young man! Every groom gets a case of the nerves. Listen to your remarkable friend; take a _deeeep_ breath, and relax," she winked, "You'll be fine!"

Seeing movement in the corner of his eye, James looked and saw Rachel, trying to be discreet, dart up to the band and whisper something before quickly taking her nearby seat. The group nodded at each other and began playing a louder but still upbeat song. Glancing behind them, the guests chuckled as Wobbuffet, wearing a crown of flowers on his head, waddled up the aisle scattering petals from the tiny wicker basket he held. Reaching the front, he saluted his friends and gave a loud call before moving off to the side.

From behind the same large topiary that Wobbuffet had come from, Jessie peeked around it, nervously yet eagerly awaiting her cue. She patted Arbok, who lowered his head and gently grasped a mouthful of her train in his jaws, sitting back up with a proud grin, his hood spread wide. Turning, she smiled at the sight of Wobbuffet tossing petals as well as his stubby arms could manage. When asked what role he wanted to play, he had unhesitatingly insisted on being the 'flower girl', and when asked why, Persian translated for him.

"He says he wants ta make tings as beautiful as you, Jess."

Then the music changed, and she drew a deep breath, whispering to herself, "Here we go..."

The guests all watched expectantly toward the back of the aisle. James let out a shuddering sigh, unsure if there was any way he could fully relax...and then she stepped into view.

Later he would notice and remember the details of her outfit; the snug, shimmery white silk gown, it's tiny cap sleeves and neckline covered in silver embroidery, her long hair pulled up in a half-bun with a delicate tiara to hold her small veil in place, the bouquet of pale pink roses...but at the moment, all he saw was the ethereal being before him, the woman he loved. She finally looked up and locked eyes with him, and in that moment, all he felt was the warmth of pure joy, so strong his fear and confusion melted away to almost nothing, those ancient scars slowly healing at long last.

Jessie clutched her bouquet a little tighter as she stared at him; he looked like a dream in his fitted white tuxedo, his hair neatly pulled back and a tiny pink rose-bud boutonniere, but right now what she really noticed was the ear-to-ear, reverent smile across his face. All the nervousness and uncertainty she had seen in his eyes the last week, try to hide it as he had, was gone.

Tears in his eyes, he held out his hand as she approached and she took it, turning to face him. He leaned in and gave her a gentle peck on the cheek as he whispered in her ear.

"You look like an angel..."

She grinned, making a joke to fight off the overjoyed tears she felt threatening to start; she wasn't ready to ruin her makeup just yet, "You don't look so bad yourself. I also see you couldn't let me be the only one wearing white."

"Just be glad I let you wear the dress."

They broke into a fit of giggles, and the officiant looked back and forth at them with a wide smile of her own.

"Shall we begin kids?"

The ceremony was brief but heart-felt, with the special vows they had written for each other, telling how they each felt-but careful to leave out anything too revealing about their former careers. James stumbled over his a couple times, but his little pouts when he did just made her chuckle, which in turn helped him relax and get back on track. Persian proudly presented the rings he had tied to his tail with a ribbon, and Wobbuffet tossed the rest of his flower petals, as well as the basket itself, into the air at the coveted announcement of 'you may kiss the bride.'

Marty blew his nose and leapt out of his seat with a cheer as Charlie clapped loudly and discreetly wiped his own eyes. Francine and Robert hugged each other, Robert handing her a tissue as she sniffled happily. Rachel sighed and pressed her hands over her heart. Hearing a loud snuffling next to her, she looked up and was surprised to see Victor with tears running down his face.

"I love weddings." he said, mopping his face with a handkerchief.

At the reception, as everyone was finishing up their meals, Jessie watched enviously as the others enjoyed their champagne while she sipped her own glass of sparkling cider.

"I hope you appreciate this." she muttered to her abdomen.

Standing, Marty raised his glass high, "A toast! A toast to the couple who's lovely union is why we're here! All happiness to you, my dear ones!"

He slugged back his entire glass while everyone cheered their agreement and partook as well, though with considerably more restraint. Soon the band leader stood and cleared his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we'll now have the happy couple celebrate with their first dance. This is a special arrangement chosen and requested by the groom."

Sitting again, he picked up his violin and drew his bow across the strings, the lone, sweet note floating across the ballroom. James grinned slyly as Jessie shot him a curious look and they led each other to the dance floor.

"What are you up to?" she wondered as they took their positions.

"Nothing." he replied with purposefully false innocence.

It only took a few bars of the music for Jessie to recognize the song, and though the sound and style was very different from the original, she would know it in a heartbeat.

"It's-it's our 'first dance' song!" she chuckled, "How could I forget?"

Laughing, he spun her around and pulled her close, "Bingo! I felt it was appropriate, considering."

His mind briefly drifted back to that same night at the bar where they had sung karaoke. After a couple more drinks they dropped several coins in the jukebox and picked a few songs blindly and at random just for fun. Two turned out to be duds, and the bartender threatened to throw them out if Jessie threw anything else at said jukebox. The third song, however, had turned out to be an upbeat tango with a sultry sound that Jessie suddenly felt unable to resist, most likely due to the alcohol in her system. Grabbing James by the hand, she dragged him protesting to the dance area and pressed against him, raising one leg to his waist while he blushed fiercely.

"Dance with me, mop-head!" she laughed, "What's the matter? Can't do it?"

Hot and out of it from the alcohol himself and wanting to prove his mettle, he had smirked, "Fine! You want to dance? Let's tango."

With that he grabbed her hand with his and put the other on the small of her back, tugging her even tighter as he tilted his face close to hers, giving her her own turn to blush with the sudden change in his mannerism. Nearly everyone watched with baffled wonderment as these two swept smoothly around the room, moving as one and not missing a step. Meowth especially stared; this was a new one to him, and with the amount of drinks they had had, he was surprised they could even walk straight, let alone dance so flawlessly. When the song ended, they still held each other for a moment before the spell was broken and they stepped apart.

"I didn't know you could...James where did you learn to dance like that? I hardly ad to do anything you led me so well!" Jessie exclaimed.

James got a faraway, haunted look in his eyes for a moment before shaking his head and sheepishly touching the back of his neck, all his confidence gone, "Oh...I used to take lessons..."

Snapping back to the present, James smiled to himself; they had, of course, eventually learned the truth. Right now though, the only truth that he cared about was right in front of him, smiling back.

The party lasted for several more hours before winding down and the couple giving some final toasts thanking everyone for coming, their gifts, and saying how they considered everyone now a part of their 'family'. When Jessie tossed the bouquet, she threw it with such force that it bounced off the wall, then a table-and finally hit Victor in the face, landing on his lap. Coolly, he brushed several petals from his beard before giving a half-smile and a thumbs-up.

Francine had declared she was renting them what she called the hotel's 'honeymoon suite' for the night, and they gladly accepted, though they insisted on paying for this portion. The guests drifted away after some last good-byes, Persian and Charlie returned home, and the newlyweds headed upstairs, exhausted yet full of giddy energy. Jessie, saying she desperately needed a bath, lamented getting out of her gown but admitted it was a bit warm as well as cumbersome to move in.

"Care to join me?" she purred as, now in her underwear, she sauntered toward the bathroom.

One long, chocolate-covered strawberry nibbling, candle-lit bubble-bath later, James stood near the window in a velvety bathrobe, looking out over the twinkling lights of the city as he brushed out his wet hair. He still felt in a state of sheer disbelief as well as overwhelming happiness at the day he had just had. The relentless fear that had dogged him for so long, the stomach-clenching panic that had held him back had melted away, leaving his mind and soul more at ease than he could remember in ages...probably since before he met that despicable woman. Shaking off those dark clouds, he turned away from the window at the sound of Jessie calling him, a sly note in her voice. Leaning on the doorway of the bathroom, her long hair draped around her, she wore her satiny white robe and a sultry, mischievous grin.

"So, dear husband," she said, "It's getting late and we've had a long day. Are you..." she paused for dramatic affect and winked, "Ready for bed?"

It took him a couple seconds to be able to coherently respond, "Y-yes...but um..."

Her smile fell, "But what?"

"Jessie, I know th-this is our wedding night, and it's not like I don't want to, heh, nor am I new at this, obviously," his eyes flicked involuntary to her middle for a second before going back to her face, "But I don't know if it would be alright, or safe, because of..."

She raised one hand to her chest, struck by a strange cocktail of both annoyance and profound, moving love; irritated at his trying to deny her this special occasion, yet deeply touched by his concern for her and their child's well-being.

"James, James, James..." she sighed playfully, swaggering up to him, "Do you really think I didn't check into this sort of thing? Well, I did, and as long as we don't get _too_ crazy, everything will be just fine."

Giving the belt on her robe a light tug, it came loose, falling away to pool at her feet. The brush that James was still holding slipped from his grasp, dropping to the floor as he saw what she was wearing underneath; a delicately sheer white, not-quite knee length gown adorned with tiny satin ribbons at the hip and shoulder straps. It hugged her form and left basically nothing to the imagination. She smirked with satisfaction at his wide-eyed expression and incoherent babbling as he attempted to form actual words.

Grabbing his hand, she led him to the bed and pushed him onto it, climbing up to straddle his lap.

Undoing his robe, she grinned down at him, "I haven't been able to do some things I wanted, but I _will_ have my wedding night!"

"Remember when I said you looked like an angel?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I was wrong."

She froze, her hands still gripping his underwear and shot him a questioning stare. Sitting up, he ran his hands down her sides, slipping them under the hem of her garment and pulling it off before wriggling out of his boxers. His wrapped his arms around her, and she shuddered with delight at the sensation of his warm skin pressed against her own. Brushing his lips against hers he murmured the answer to her unspoken question.

"You are a goddess..."

The next few months passed in a blissful but hectic blur. Three Roses became a more well-established tourist business as it's owners and employees settled into a well-oiled routine. Soon enough, Jessie realized her insistence for their wedding to be soon was quite timely, as it wasn't too long afterward that she looked in the mirror one morning and realized her flawless figure was starting to become not-so-flawless. James poked his head in at hearing her loud, dramatic sighs.

"What?" he wondered.

She glowered at his reflection, hands over her belly, "I'm ruined."

With a loving sigh of his own, he carefully approached and rested his hands on her shoulders, "Jessie, you're not ruined! There'll just be...more of you to love!"

"...Jerk." she muttered as he giggled at his own joke, smiling a little despite herself.

As summer changed to autumn, they noticed a slow but steady decrease in customers. It became especially pronounced after the annual end-of-summer festival, when during it they enjoyed a spike in business but after it was over, customer traffic dwindled considerably. At first they chalked it up to the cooler weather and less tourists, and thus took steps to increase advertising, even offering hot tea to patrons. However, when these tactics failed and they watched day by day as the business they had worked so hard to build slowly begin to slip away, the panic began to set in. They talked it over one afternoon in their office after everyone had gone home early due to lack of customers.

"If things continue like this..." said James as he looked over their profit ledger for the past few weeks, "We're going to have to think of something. Re-structure maybe...somehow..."

Persian flopped his head onto James's desk, his eyes tired from going over numbers for the past couple hours, "If dis keeps up we're gonna hafta cut back on food...and I dunno about youse two but I've had more den enough a dat fer all nine lives!"

Jessie, who had been gazing down at her now quite rounded middle, looked up at them, trying to sound tougher than she felt at the moment, "We just have to figure out some way to trim expenses. Maybe just use one balloon instead of three. Or be open a day or two less a week. There's ways."

"What about paying the crew?"

"We're not in that dire straights yet James! We're just experiencing a small set-back. All new business's have them. The ones that stay afloat are the ones that find ways to ride the ups and downs!"

Feeling boosted by her own pep-talk, Jessie stood and planted her hands on her hips, "Now are we gonna mope, or we gonna figure this out?!"

Grinning, James stood as well, "You're right! We'll figure something out! We always have, and this time is no different!"

"I tink yer forgettin' one little thing Jimmy..." said Persian, glancing at Jessie, "We've never had a fourth mouth ta feed."

The humans gazed at each other, the realization sinking in. Persian was right;, all the times they had failed, they had only themselves to worry about, but this time, an innocent was caught up in the mix, and failure for them meant consequences for all.

Jessie shook her head and quickly replied, "Then we'll just have to think of something, and fast!"

Charlie, who had come up to the office to see if there was anything he could do, had heard part of their conversation. Silently, he slunk away back to his room and picked up the newspaper he had bought that morning, flipping it open to the job openings section.


	13. The Beedrill's Nest

Despite all their best plans and efforts, from using only one balloon to cutting back on open days, over the next month the business continued to hemorrhage money. It finally got to a point where, after much deliberation, one day when everyone came in for work, they gathered them together for a meeting.

"As you may have noticed, over the past few months we've had a noticeable dip in customers." Jessie began.

"You mean like all the days we've had four or five people at best?" said Rachel.

James sighed, "Yes, about that...well, as much as we really, truly hate to have to do this...we um...oh curse it all! I can't! Persian?!"

Persian flattened his ears and snorted, "Don't look at me, Jimmy! If Jess wants ta be de boss, den let her handle it!"

"Why do I have to be the one to-?!" she hissed, then swiftly composed herself, "I'm honestly terribly sorry everyone...but we're going to have to either cut back your hours, your pay, or you can, if you'd rather..." she swallowed and dropped her gaze to the side, "Find another job..."

A long silence followed, with the four employees looking at each other uncertainly until Victor coolly crossed his arms and cleared his throat.

"I will stay."

With a nod, Marty pulled off his hat and bowed, "As I shall as well! Counting on me is something you may always do, my dear bosses!"

"And I wouldn't want to leave, especially with the extra help you need now, Jessie!" Rachel chimed in as she raised her hand.

The trio gaped at them in astonishment, Jessie saying, "But-but we can barely afford to pay you anymore!"

"We couldn't possibly ask you to work for free!" added James.

"Unless, ya know, ya wanna. We wouldn't exactly complain." Persian said with a shrug.

Charlie, who had thus far been silent, raised his eyes to theirs, "Didn't you guys say that we're family now...? Family's stick together, right? So whatever happens, whatever we need to do, we'll be here," sheepishly he looked at the others, "...at least I will."

They voiced their agreement with him, and nearly overcome with emotion, Jessie wiped her eyes, "I don't-I don't know what to say!"

"Thank you, truly!" James sniffed, pulling Jessie into his arms, "We promise; we're going to figure out some way to make this place soar again!"

Thus began a drastic measure to ensure Three Roses could stay afloat-literally. Everyone got in on the advertising, putting posters everywhere and telling every person they could about the place. Charlie especially threw himself into it, being gone for the entire day and not returning until later at night. He always looked dirty and exhausted when he finally got in, but would inevitably brush off their questions of what he done to get himself into that condition. They even sprung for a radio commercial, and the day they went to the Radio Tower to record it, they had a good chuckle recalling the last time they had been there and how good of a 'puppet' Meowth had been. Persian found their reminiscing far less amusing, especially after being called 'the puurfect dummy' several times.

Thanks to the whole team's effort, things began to pick up and they actually started to get some more customers. This, unfortunately, only lasted for a few weeks before business began to die off again and they found themselves right back where they were. Going over the numbers each day became unbearable as they realized their dream was slowly but inevitably slipping through their fingers. Cutting back on every possible expense, including electricity, was one of the only things keeping them open at this point, along with the small sum that always turned up every few days on their profit ledger; they surmised it was from the light amount of traffic they did have.

One night, after racking his brain for a couple hours in a futile attempt to come up with some sort of plan and locking up, James wearily climbed the stairs and upon opening the door to their living area, heard a soft weeping coming from their bedroom. The moonlight coming in through the open curtains being his only source of light, he tiptoed past Persian, who was curled up on the couch under several layers of blankets fast asleep, down the hall and peered into the room.

Jessie sat on the edge of the bed facing toward the window, one hand over her face and her other arm around her middle, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed quietly. Wiping her eyes and without turning to look at him she spoke in a strained tone.

"What are we going to do?"

Moving over to the bed, he sat heavily next to her and took her hand in his, forcing a brave smile, "We'll figure something out. Things will get better, you'll see! Like you said, we're having a set-back, that's all."

"This is becoming more than just a set-back," she sniffed, "If we don't find a way to turn a good profit soon..."

"If we have to, we can use more of our 'reward' money...I hate to, but-"

Jessie abruptly yanked her hand from his and scooted quickly, if a bit ungracefully, away from him, "We've been dipping into that for a while, remember!? We don't have a lot left at this point and we'll need every penny if we have to sell this place and-ugh!" she glowered at him, "This is all your fault we're in this predicament!"

Taken aback, James only managed to say, "What?"

"What do you mean 'what'?! This whole fiasco is because of you and your grand plans!" standing, she gestured around them, "Starting our own travel business, buying this piece of crap place _without asking us first_ and wasting a huge chunk of our well-earned money! All of this was your idea, so this mess we're in is your fault too!"

Angry and hurt by her accusations, James retorted, "And you went along with it! You said yes to _'_ my _'_ ideas, and even though I had already bought this building I still could have re-sold it but again, you agreed to keep it! So don't think you can blame me this time!"

Laughing harshly, she said, "Oh please spare me the whining! The only reason I agreed to this was because-"

Suddenly she gasped and clutched her abdomen. In a flash, James leapt to his feet and was at her side.

"What's wrong?!" he cried.

Jessie was quiet for a moment before looking up at him, "...She just kicked. This is the first time she's done that. I was starting to get worried..."

"Really?!" he exclaimed, eyes shining, "Let me feel!"

Excited, they chatted rapidly while he rested his hands on her belly, and after a few moments he gave a short laugh, saying he had felt it too. Even though they had cut back on everything else, the only thing they agreed to not skimp on was doctor's appointments, and it was during one of these they found out they were having a girl. Jessie was told to expect to start feeling her move soon, but that had been several weeks ago and until now, there had been nothing.

"Heh...I think we may have woken her up..." said James with a halfhearted chuckle.

A loud yawn from the doorway caught their attention, and turning around, they spied Persian standing there, his ears flattened and a blanket still draped over his back.

"Youse two woke _me_ up, dat's fer sure!" he grumbled, "What's yer problem? Can't a Pokemon get some shut-eye around here?"

Jessie rubbed her forehead, "We just...oh, go back to sleep, cat!"

"...Fine. But keep it down will ya? I gotta try and get some more people in here tomorrow." Persian replied before leaving, still muttering under his breath.

As he walked away they gazed at each other, the heat of their argument subsided. Jessie realized the true reason for her fury was not their ailing business; it wasn't as if she didn't know how to get by on little or no money, but the well-being of the tiny life now stirring inside her.

To that end she sighed, "James? I'm...sorry for trying to pin all the blame on you. Nonetheless we need to figure out some way to start bringing in the cash..." her eyes watered and her voice began to crack the more she spoke, "If we had to we could always pick up an go again; we've done it a thousand times, but I couldn't kick Charlie back out on the streets, not after everything he's been through and done for us and then...then there's our b-baby and w-what are we going to do about her we can't just-what k-kind of-?!"

Breaking down into sobs, she clung to James, "W-what kind of parents are we?! She's not even born yet and we've already messed everything up for her!"

Struggling to keep it together for all of their sakes, James held her tightly as she cried into his shoulder, rubbing her back and repeating himself over and over over again.

"It's gonna be okay...we'll figure it out...I swear it..."

Some time later, Jessie lay curled up under a blanket after crying herself to sleep, while James sat on the bed and stared mournfully out the window. A plan had begun to take shape in his mind, one that was probably hopeless and most definitely insane. However, he reasoned, desperate times called for desperate measures, right? Gazing at the fretfully sleeping woman next to him with her arms curled protectively, even in sleep, around her belly, he drew a deep breath and quietly exhaled, having made up his mind. Leaning over, he brushed his lips ever so gently against her cheek before standing and silently slipped from the room. Making his way to their tiny office area in part of the living room, he grabbed a piece of paper and a pen before sneaking back to the dining table. Sitting down, he stared at the blank page before him, wondering how in the world he was going to pull this off.

Jessie's eyes fluttered open and she squinted to focus on the alarm clock, seeing that it read two in the morning. Reaching behind her, sensing something amiss, she swiftly realized she was alone. She had grown so used to James curled up with his arms around her it now felt oddly empty to have him not there. Sitting up, she pulled on her robe and stood, needing the bathroom and definitely a snack. As the events preceding her falling asleep came back to her, she paused, resting against the doorway and holding her abdomen.

Resolutely, she whispered to her unborn daughter, "I don't know what we're going to do, but I promise, I will do whatever it takes to make sure you never go through what I did. I love you."

Kissing her fingers then touching her belly with them, she made her way to the kitchen-where she spied James sitting at their dining table, several crumpled papers around him and scribbling away on one in front of him.

Cocking an eyebrow, she wondered aloud, "What in the world are you doing...!?"

"I'm just, um, heh heh..." he glanced at her with a sheepish grin, "I'm just jotting down some possible plans. I couldn't sleep anyway, so I thought I'd put my insomnia to use, right? What are you doing awake, my love?"

"You know I can't sleep through the night anymore. So...what are your plans? I see you've already tossed some there."

Not expecting to be cornered, James scrambled for an answer. Finally realizing there was no point in in lying, nor had he the heart to, he set his pen down and sighed.

"I'm still working on it. Almost there, though."

Jessie shook her head as she turned to rummage through the freezer, grabbing a half-eaten pint of double-chocolate fudge marshmallow ice cream, "Well, I hope you come up with something good, because I'm starting to run out of ideas."

"I have. I just need to...to hope it works out."

Plucking a spoon from the dish drainer, Jessie sat at the table opposite him, lost on her own thoughts as he picked up the sheet in front of him and read it silently to himself.

'Dear Mother and Father...'

Two weeks later, via a reply letter that he was honestly shocked to have received, James sat outside at a small restaurant in Olivine City. He had found an out-of-the-way table near some large potted box-woods and was sitting nervously, fidgeting as he swirled his glass of brandy and tapped his feet. He was also alone and had come here in secret; no one, not even Jessie or Persian, knew about his mission. Knowing they would insist on coming along he had chosen not to tell them...he knew they'd be safer that way. Downing the remaining liquor, he set it down just as the waiter returned.

"Can I get you anything else, sir?" he asked.

James barely hesitated before lifting his glass, "I could use a refill, please."

The waiter paused before clearing his throat and taking a brief glance at his watch, "Sir? It's only eleven in the morning..."

"Listen..." said James in a calm but firm tone, the liquor making his tongue a bit looser than normal, "Any minute now, I'm going to have to face my very strict, very old-fashioned parents and tell them that I'm married to a woman other than my intended fiance, that she's carrying our child, and that we desperately need money," his eyes narrowed, "I am in no mood to be judged for how much or when I am drinking today."

The waiter stared incredulously back at him before grabbing his glass and quickly stepping away, "Coming right up..."

His shoulders sinking, James leaned back and closed his eyes, still scarcely believing he was here and actually about to go through with this. He had made it a point to avoid his parents and their unique brand of insanity over the years, but now here he was voluntarily striding into the Beedrill's nest.

"It's all for her..." he reminded himself, then cracked a sad smile, "Love will make you do crazy things, I suppose."

Opening his eyes again as the waiter returned, he thanked him for his beverage and was just about to take another swig when a long, sleek, elegant car pulled up to the curb and slowed to a stop, it's driver getting out to peer at the brass address plaque on the front of the building.

It was them; he had no doubt.

Some of the other people sitting outside turned to stare, not used to seeing such a luxury vehicle and no doubt curious as to why one would be here. His heart began to hammer and he to set his glass down lest he drop it. For a brief moment he considered making a run for it, that deep-rooted instinct rearing it's head once more. However, he grasped the edges of the table, physically and mentally willing himself to stay put, mumbling the words that had given him strength these past few days.

"Be brave for her..."

The driver nodded and returned to the car, where he went to the back door and swung it open, saying something to the occupants inside. Moments later, a tall man emerged and glanced about curiously as he reached his hand out to the woman stepping out behind him.

The man turned to the driver and said, "Are you certain this is the correct place? I don't see him."

James snorted; why was he not surprised his own father wouldn't notice him? Despite the fact that he had his hair pulled back and wore a pair of sunglasses, he didn't look that different from the last time they had seen each other.

Standing, he removed the sunglasses and raised one hand half-way, and seeing the movement, his mother tapped her husband with her fan, "Darling, there he is!"


	14. Family Reunion

James stood as tall as he could as his parents approached. Reaching the table, his father pulled out a chair and his mother sat down before the two men sat themselves. The waiter came over and asked if they needed anything, but they both declined, his mother saying she doubted they had what they'd want, anyway. As the waiter left, his father smirked coolly, and James felt a bit like some unfortunate victim caught in a Spinarak's web.

"Well, son, this is quite the unexpected surprise. Now you were a tad vague in your letter as to the exact nature for your reaching out to us. Would you care to share some more information now?"

"I must say," his mother smiled, "You're looking quite well, much better than when we last met. You don't look nearly as underfed, and you're dressed much more handsomely. It seems you've been doing quite well for yourself."

James nodded, the stiffly formal nature of their interaction making him cringe inside, "I have, thank you mother. And to answer your question, father, I'm afraid it requires a bit of an explanation."

"Have you, at long last, decided to renounce your...unfortunate career choices, and come home to the life you were meant to have?" the older man asked.

James gulped loudly enough he was certain they heard him, and folding his hands neatly on the table replied, "No, I'm afraid not."

His mother lowered her fan, smiling sadly now, "James my dear, I know your ideals and ours have been at odds much of the time, but we really do wish you'd come home. You were born into a rare and wonderful place in this world, one that so many would give anything to be in! I just don't understand why you'd throw all that away to live on the streets among the riff-raff."

Felling his anger begin to boil up a little, James took a deep breath to stay calm; he knew precisely whom his mother meant when she said 'riff-raff', but he couldn't blow what might be his only chance to make things better for his family. It struck him oddly then- for the first time, sitting across from his own parents, it truly began to sink in that he indeed had a family of his own now, one that he swore to do anything and everything for.

Taking another breath and attempting to change the subject, he then asked, "And has...she given up yet...?"

His parents glanced at each other for a moment before figuring out what he meant.

"James," his father said sternly, "It is well known you have a...disdain for Jessibelle, but the fact remains, whether you care for it or not, that you have an obligation to uphold."

"An obligation, if I may, that I had no say in." James replied, unable to hide the edge to his voice.

His father sighed irritably and looked away, at this point his mother speaking up again, "Have you ever considered how she feels in all this?"

James had to fight back the urge to be sick as she continued, "That young lady has been waiting for you all these long years, and has remained true to you despite other young suitors expressing their interest in courting her. Now I believe that level of loyalty deserves reciprocation. And, your father is correct after all; a promise was made, and promises should be honored."

"...Which is exactly why I'm here. A promise...a promise to someone very dear to me." James said after a moment.

"Then you _have_ decided to come home?"

"No. I can't, nor am I willing, to do that."

Beginning to lose his patience, his father snapped, "For goodness sake young man! Stop speaking in riddles! Why have you called us here then?"

James sighed and moved his hands apart, palms up, "I was hoping...against all hope, I'm sure, that I could have at least some of my inheritance..."

His father snorted, then covered his mouth as he laughed bitterly for a moment, saying surely he must be joking. His mother, however, had her gaze fixed upon his hands.

She gestured to his left one, "James dear...is that...a wedding band?!"

His father stopped laughing at that, staring as well. James sat up straight.

"Yes. Yes it is." he declared, "I'm sorry, but you'll have to tell _sweet little_ Jessibelle that I am officially off the market."

Rubbing his forehead, his father suddenly hit his fist on the table, causing a few nearby people to jump before awkwardly looking away.

"Dammit it all you foolish boy!" the older man growled, "Do you have nay idea what you've done?! What this will do to our reputation and standing? To yours, or what's left of it anyway? To Jessibelle's and her family?!"

His mother, flustered, spoke rapidly, "The arrangement that has been in place for ages was that you marry Jessibelle _and then_ you'd come into your inheritance! Now that you have no doubt married some-some little criminal and broken that deal, if you think you are going to see a cent of that money-!"

Struggling now to remain calm, James said, "The money isn't for me."

With another mirthless laugh, his father spat, "Then who is it for? Your low-life friends? Your no-name slut of a wife?"

Losing the last threads of his composure at that, James slammed his hands on the table and stood, causing his parents to lean away, startled at his outburst.

 _"Don't ever call her that again!"_ he snarled.

Sitting again, his parents still regarding him with alarm, he swallowed hard and said, "The money isn't for me. It's...for your grandchild..."

His mother gasped and her fan fell from her grasp as she placed her hands over her mouth, and his father simply stared in an expression James couldn't quite read. A long, tense silence stretched between them for what felt like years before his father finally spoke.

"Are you saying that-?!"

James nodded, "Yes. In just a couple months I will be a father myself...n-now normally I wouldn't dream of coming to you to ask for anything, but the business we have hasn't been doing so well lately and in light of the fact that we have a baby on the way, I was wondering if we could have some of that money, just enough to get us by for a bit and to take care of-"

"So you've taken advantage of some girl and gotten her-? Goodness you've sunk lower than I thought..." his father shook his head, "Well, at least you've done the honorable thing and married her."

"No! It's not like that! We love and care about each other, and our baby!" protested James.

With a deep sigh, he looked them straight in the eyes and passionately said, "Which, again, is why I'm here. I don't care about the money for myself; the only thing I care about is that my little girl will have everything she needs. I know there's probably no repairing the rift between us, and that you have no desire to help me. I've come to accept that, but please...if you won't help your son, at least help your granddaughter..."

His father barely hesitated before getting to his feet, "It is time we departed, my dear. I do believe we have heard quite enough."

James gaped at him in horrified disbelief, "Wait! You're really going to do this!?"

"Do you remember when I told you it was time to grow up? Well, this will be the perfect opportunity to give it a try. Adults must solve problems on their own. I sincerely wish you luck. Farewell."

Standing, James was fighting back his tears and failing as he pleaded, "You won't even help your own grandchild?! I know you're trying to punish me and frankly, I don't care, but why must you also punish an innocent for my failings?"

Coldly, his father turned away, "I have no grandchild. Again, farewell."

Gripping the table to stay on his feet, he barely noticed his mother's expression had changed, and now she quickly stood as well.

"But, Julius!" she said, stepping in front of him, "Please, just a moment."

James could only catch the slightest snip-its of their conversation as they rapidly whispered back and forth.

"...couldn't we just.."

"...absolutely not!"

"...but surely..."

"...this is for..."

Finally his father snapped a little louder, "This conversation is done. We will be taking our leave now. Cecilia, come along."

He started to stride away, leaving his wife looking back and forth between her husband and her son, one hand to her chest and looking, James could almost swear, genuinely conflicted. He caught her eye and mouthed 'please', and she started to reply when Julius whirled on his heel.

 _"Cecilia! "_ he barked.

At that her face hardened again as she snatched up her fan and swiftly went after him, her heels clicking on the cobblestone, taking what was left of James' feeble hopes with her. The driver, who had been standing dutifully by the car this entire time, opened the door for them and they got in without another look back before getting in himself and driving away. He watched until the vehicle vanished around a corner before sinking into his seat, lowering his head into his hands and weeping miserably, not even noticing nor caring that people were gawking.

Late that evening, as the stars and city lights were beginning to twinkle in the deep azure and rose-gold twilight, James arrived back in Goldenrod, dragging his feet and dreading facing his friends-no, his family. Though it was true they didn't know what he had truly been up to, his very soul nonetheless ached, heartbroken he had not been able to return with good news. Instead of heading straight back home, he decided to take a walk to clear his head and after aimlessly wandering for a time, he ended up down at the city's docks. Settling himself upon a large rock near one of the main piers, he gazed out over the sea, shining with the last rays of daylight and remembered that morning in Slateport after their night of adventures when they had all been doing this very thing; looking out at the shimmering ocean, excited with the possibilities that lay ahead. Now, with things turning out the way they had and the sun sinking into the deep waters, it felt, and looked, more like the end than the beginning.

Wearily getting to his feet, he was working on making his way home when a group of dock workers, done with their shift, made their way past him. He paid them little mind until one, shorter and skinnier than the rest at the rear of the pack, caught his eye.

Confused, he wondered aloud, _"Charlie?!"_

The young man stopped in his tracks, jerking his head to look back at James. His clothes were filthy and he had several scratches on his arms.

"James! Hi..." he replied.

"Wait...is this what you've been up to all this time? Working down here?"

"Um..." Charlie looked mildly embarrassed, "Yeah. Five days a week."

"Oh, alright. It's fine, I know we haven't been pulling in money lately and we did say you could get another job if you wished. Honestly, we've been wondering what you've been getting up to all...this time..."

James suddenly made the connection-five days out of the week, a small chunk of money had been appearing in one of their desks, one they had figured was from the day's business, though the amount was usually more than they calculated it should be. Needing the funds, of course, they had decided not to question where it had come from. Now, it became clear.

"You've been putting your day's pay in our desks, haven't you?!"

Charlie cracked a slight smile, "Looks like you caught me. Again. It's not much, but I really wanted to do something to help after everything you guys have done for me..."

Grabbing him in a hug so sudden and forceful the young man yelped in surprise, James sniffled, "Thank you, my friend..."

A short time later the two finally arrived back home and parted ways at the bottom of the staircase, but not before Charlie made James promise not to tell Jessie about his other job.

"I don't want her to worry about me. She's got enough on her mind..." he explained.

"Fair enough," replied James, then stopped again a few steps up and turned, "Charlie?"

"Yeah?"

"I hate to ask this but...if worse comes to worse and we have to fold up...do you have anyone at all you could go to?"

Charlie nodded, "It's okay...and yeah, actually, I've been writing to my parents, and we've been trying to work things out. I don't know if I could go home just yet, but it's getting better."

Relieved as he was to hear that, James couldn't help the stab of irrational jealousy he felt after the day he had had. Ascending the stairs once more, he paused with his hand on the doorknob before resolving to face the music and went inside.


	15. New Beginnings

Almost immediately he was greeted by a surprisingly cheerful Jessie who gave him a quick kiss before going back to her pint of ice cream.

"Well finally! It hasn't been the same around here without you these past few days," she said in between bites, "So how was your...training seminar?"

Such was the excuse he had used. In the week before he left and while he made his plans, he had been telling them he had heard about a free business and training seminar in Olivine City where he could pick up some useful information and strategies, but saying surely they'd be bored to tears, insisted on him going by himself.

At first James hesitated, unsure what to say without giving himself away before forcing a smile, "It was...well, it wasn't what I expected. I didn't get the answers I was hoping for, that's for sure. Hey, uh, where's Persian?"

"Out prowling. He'll be back soon," Jessie grinned knowingly back at him before setting down her ice cream and pulling a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket, tossing it to him. Curious, he unfolded it-and went pale at the sight of his own handwriting.

"So, shall I rephrase that; how was the meeting with your parents?" she smirked.

He sighed, knowing he had been caught red-handed, "How did you find out?"

"James my love, if you're going to lie to me, at least cover your tracks," Jessie rolled her eyes, "I was clearing the desk when I found one of your rejected drafts."

Crushing the paper in his hands, he dropped it into a nearby trashcan and strode up to her, gathering her in his arms.

As tears fell he explained, "I'm so sorry...I tried, I really did, but they're-they're monsters! I was so desperate for a way, any way, to help us out. I thought if I could just talk to them, if they knew about our situation..." he looked down, resting one hand on her rounded middle, "If they knew about her...maybe it would change their minds. But oh, I was so wrong. They don't care. They don't care about anything..."

Shaking, he touched his fore head to hers, "I feel like...I've already failed at being a father before I had even had a chance to try."

Jessie gently kissed his cheek and let him cry the sorrow and shame from his system. When she had first found the paper earlier that day she had been furious for him tricking her, but after cooling down a bit realized he had no doubt done it this way for her and their child's benefit-there was no telling what his crazy parents would do, after all. She had seen quite enough that day at their 'funeral' and knew the lengths they were prepared to go to. His willingness to face them on behalf of her and their daughter only further proved, she knew, how good of a father he'd be.

Pulling away finally, she briskly patted his cheeks to bring him back to focus, "Listen up. Doing what you did, facing one of your greatest fears head-on more than shows you're not a failure."

"But I just-"

"Shush. I say you're not," again she gave him a quick peck, "Now, I have something that I'm certain will make you feel _much_ better."

Stepping away and to their desk, she pulled out a small metal box. Unlocking it, she again tossed an item to him. James stared at the thick, rubber-band wrapped wad of cash in his hands.

"What-? Where-how did-?!" he sputtered, "Where'd you get this?"

"From today's customers!" Jessie answered brightly.

James stared in disbelief back at her, "This is more than we've made in months! How did you all manage this?!"

"It's all thanks to Persian and a tip from Franny!"

The doorknob clicked, and Persian pushed it open, standing there with a smug grin after hearing the last bits of their conversation.

He coyly licked his paw, "Wouldya be interested in hearin' da story?"

 _Three days prior, Persian and Francine walked along together, following her usual early-morning route while the feline's ears drooped and he dragged his feet._

 _"Persian, I may be old, but I'm not blind or senile yet," she said, "I know you haven't been yourself lately, and one of these days you're going to have to tell me what's wrong."_

 _Immediately he straightened himself up, "Eh-heh, nothin'! Like I said, I'm just tired from haventa do so much work! Heh, we're really busy!"_

 _Stopping, Francine turned to face him, arms crossed, "Alllllright that's it! I know you've been lying to me. Now spill it," softer, she added, "Believe it or not I care about you guys, and I really wish you'd tell me what's going on."_

 _Persian looked into her warm blue eyes and sighed, lowering his head again, the burden he had carrying finally becoming too much, "The truth is...we ain't been doin' so good. Business has been so slow dat some days we don't get no one at all. We've tried everyting ta bring in more tourists but...we're afraid we ain't gonna make it."_

 _Francine shuffled over to sit on a nearby bench and patted the seat beside her. Persian crawled into the indicated spot and flopped down, Francine patting his back._

 _"I appreciate you finally telling me. Noe then, let's see what we can do to fix things, hmm? You've done promotiol work, I assume?"_

 _"Lots!"_

 _"And let me guess; things were sailing along just fine until the weather cooled and the tourists mostly left for the season, am I right?"_

 _Persian drooped even lower, "Yeah..."_

 _"That's the problem you're going to run into when you run a tourist-centered business. Me, I've been around long enough and have become so well known that I get guests all year round. A place like yours, however, needs to find a way to stay relevant through the drier times. Is there anyone you haven't tried to market yourselves to? A group that would benefit from your services? Start there and see what you come up with."_

 _They sat in silence for some time, watching people and Pokemon go about their morning routines while Persian fretted deep in thought. Finally he looked up, feeling a flash of inspiration._

 _With a tilt of his head he said, "Well de plan was ta be a site-seein' business but since dat ain't workin'...hey!" he suddenly straightened up, "What if-do ya think we could also give de locals a lift? Like ta dere jobs and stuff? I 've heard people complain' dat traffic is always backed up and de trains are always packed so maybe?!"_

 _Laughing, Francine nodded, "That sounds like a wonderful idea! I've actually overheard several of my guests saying they'd love to take a hot-air balloon to work after visiting you lot."_

 _"I gotta tell Jess about dis!" Persian leapt to his feet, "Sorry Franny I'll seeya later!"_

 _Francine barely managed a goodbye wave before the feline was already speeding away. Dashing through the streets, dodging people, Pokemon and objects, his heart full of hope and enthusiasm, he soon arrived back at 'head-quarters', where he quickly found Jessie._

 _Out of breath, he panted, "I tink I got da solution ta our problems!"_

James blinked at them as they finished the story, still holding the thick stack of bills, "And that was only three days ago? And we've made this much already?!"

"Isn't it amazing?!" said Jessie joyfully, "That first day we advertised the new and improved Three Roses like crazy. Persian and I even went in to record a new commercial-honestly we just winged it and it turned out great. By the end of the day we already had people coming in, and yesterday morning there was a line at the door! Today there were even more! We had to pull out another balloon just to accommodate everyone."

Persian added, "Turns out we was just pitchin' ta da wrong crowd. Once we fixed dat-boom! We're rollin' in dough again."

Looking down at the money in his hands, James grinned, his heart feeling lighter than it had in some time, "Then let's get some rest; it sounds like we're going to be busy tomorrow!"

Miraculously, their new-found business structure worked, and soon they found themselves swamped in customers, not just the tourists that still stopped in but also the regular residents that began coming to avoid the traffic of the roads and trains. They got so busy they needed another 'driver', hiring Marty's friend Gordon, who had pilot credentials as well. Charlie, saying he'd wanted to learn to fly the day he had seen their balloons, enthusiastically stepped up to the plate also. Trained by both James and Marty, they soon realized the boy had a knack for piloting, and agreed with some more experience he'd be flying solo. Victor, unable to keep up with the maintenance of the balloons himself, requested an assistant, and soon another mechanic was hired too.

And so the next couple months flew by in a flurry of activity, Three Roses Sight-Seeing and Travel Services, the name they had officially changed to, finally establishing itself firmly in the local conscious.

One early spring morning, after the day's activities were well underway, Jessie sat at her desk, trying to concentrate on her paperwork. Since waking up that morning, she had felt off. At first it was this unexplainable, deep-rooted sensation that something was going on. Then the pain started; weak and far apart, but despite that she was on high alert. Soon however, it went away and attributing it to nerves, she pushed it aside and went about her work. As she sat typing up an order for a roll of canvas, a sharp stabbing pain erupted in her abdomen and lower back. Gasping, she clutched her middle and drew deep breaths, trying to relax. As swiftly as it had come on, though, it subsided. Shaking a little, she sat upright, but almost as soon as she did, she was hit with another wave of pain. Now there was no doubt.

 _"JAMES!"_ she screamed.

Moments later, pounding footsteps were head and the office door flew open, James standing there looking confused, "What's going-!?"

Meeting her eyes, he didn't need to ask further.

She stood, a bit wobbly as she held on to her desk with one hand. His heart leaping to his throat and struggling to remain calm, he ran over and put one arm around her, leading her to the door and down the steps. Almost immediately, everyone stopped to see and ask what was going on.

"Jess!" cried Persian, "Are you-"

In agony, Jessie nonetheless barked out orders, "Yes, yes, this bun is ready! But-ah!-carry on! Keep this place running! Victor and Freddy; keep those balloons in shape! M-Marty and Gordon-ack!-do your thing. Rachel, keep-ohmigodowowow!-keep people happy. Charlie!"

The young man swallowed, wishing he could help, "Yes Ms. Jessie!?"

"You and Persian are in charge until one or both of us gets back."

Charlie gave a salute as the duo made their way out the door.

A couple hours later, after loudly barreling into the hospital, startling the desk staff and getting checked into a room, Jessie watched from her bed as James paced restlessly in front of the window. The nurse had left several minutes prior after stopping in for a periodic check-up and letting her know, again, about the call button next to her bed. Her pain had dropped in sharpness, but increased in frequency, something the nurse had told her to keep an eye on.

Stopping suddenly, he turned to her, "Is she-"

Hitting the bed-rail with her fist, Jessie snapped, "No! Not yet! Trust me, I'll know. Why are you so nervous?! I'm the one in labor here!"

Sitting in the chair next to her, he took her hand and kissed it, "Because I love you. Both of you..."

"I know..." she said in a softer tone, "Since it seems like I might be here a bit, I could use a cup of tea."

Instantly he got to his feet, "Coming right up! Be back in a jiffy!"

She rolled her eyes but chuckled despite the misery she was in as he blew her a kiss on his way out.

Settling back into her pillows, she exhaled loudly and rested her hands on her belly, staring out the window and reflecting upon the path that had led her here. It certainly wasn't the path she had envisioned for herself, being notably less glittery and lacking the crowds of adoring fans, however she did had some of the things she had always longed for; a home, money and security...and a family. And now, one more member was about to join that family. She found herself wondering the same things she had been thinking about for the past nine months, but now on hyper-speed...was she going to be healthy? Would she take after her mother? Her father? Neither? What would she grow up to be?

Tears welling, her thoughts wandered to her own mother...how had she felt in this very same situation when expecting her? Closing her eyes, letting the tears fall, she resigned herself to the fact that she'd probably never know. Hugging herself, she silently vowed to be the best mom she could.

A searing jab of pain interrupted her musings, sharper than ever and she yelped, lurching forward as she frantically jabbed at the call button...


	16. The Next Chapter

In the hospital cafe, James sat resting his chin in his hands as he awaited their order. Staring at a generic landscape print on the wall, he tapped his feet nervously. From the moment Jessie had told him, well, shouted, that they were going to parents, he had spent countless hours worrying about, and yet, happily awaiting this day; the day he'd become a father and hold his little girl for the first time. He smiled; would she be happy-go-lucky in nature? Serious? What would her first words be? Her first Pokemon? Right now though, the only thing he cared about was that both Jessie and the baby would be healthy and make it through this okay.

His smile faded as he bitterly thought of his own parents, and he swore to do everything in his power to right the wrongs that had befallen him as they raised their child.

Hearing his order called, James picked it up and made his way back to Jessie's room. While still a ways down the hall, he heard a loud commotion coming from one of the rooms, but ignored it until he realized it was coming from Jessie's. Taking off at a run, he was nearly there when a nurse opened the door and immediately ducked, a pitcher flying out of the doorway and shattering against the wall, missing her head by a mere foot. This was coupled with the pleading of several other nurses to relax and Jessie screaming back at them to stop telling her to calm down.

"I'm coming Jess!" he yelled, darting into the room, dropping the tea on a nearby table.

"And so is this kid!" she snarled back as he dashed to her side, a couple nurses happily backing off, then burst into tears, "Where have you been?!"

"You asked me to get you tea remember?"

"I would but I'm a little distracted right-owowow!" she sobbed, clinging to the bed-rails.

Grabbing her free hand, he tried soothing her as best he could, racked with nerves as the nurses and doctor made final preparations...

Jessie's eyes fluttered open. The first thing she noticed in her groggy state was how much her entire body ached with pain. Then as her vision focused she saw the large vase of at least a dozen flawless, blush-pink roses on the table next to her. The sweet scent of them wafted through the air and she smiled weakly. Groaning, she attempted to pull herself up to a sitting position, but having no strength in her limbs, gave up and settled for at least propping herself up a bit. She rubbed her forehead, then looked down at the IV in her arm and frowned, wondering why it was there. Glancing to her left, she immediately spied James slumped in a chair next to her bed, legs sprawled out and head tipped back, snoring slightly.

Reaching out, she tapped his shoulder, "Hey-"

His eyes flew open and he nearly fell off the chair as he scrambled to his feet and her side, "Jessie! You're awake! You're okay! How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?"

"Where is she?" she asked, looking around before spotting the wheeled crib next to her bed and feebly stretching out her arm, "Give her to me."

Reaching in to the crib, James gingerly lifted out a small pink bundle, speaking softly and making 'shh' noises as their tiny whimpers and hiccups turned into louder cries.

"Jess, they said you have to take it easy since-"

"Give! Me! My! Baby!" she furiously demanded, pulling herself fully upright in a display of protest.

Carefully, he placed the bundle in her arms and she held them snugly against herself, getting her first good look at their daughter. Her eyes were still shut, but she had a generous fluff of pinkish-red hair. She wriggled within the confines of her blankets, reaching one arm out almost as if she was trying to get up already.

"Isn't she beautiful?" said James, eyes watering as he leaned his head on Jessie's shoulder, "And look! She's got your hair!"

Jessie smiled, stroking the silky strands and kissing her forehead, "That's my girl..."

At this, her cries subsided as the newborn's eyes finally opened and locked with Jessie's. Pale crystal blue met deep sapphire and she gasped quietly, feeling a jolt down to her very core. Many times, despite her sincere anticipation of this day, she had awoken in the night with a paralyzing sense of fear; had she done the right thing? Was she ready for this? Now, looking into the wide, innocent blue spheres in front of her, full of confusion and wonder, all traces of that fear evaporated.

A couple minutes passed in silence, save for her daughter's soft cries before Jessie spoke again, "Hello, Jane...it's so nice to finally meet you."

James, who had been gently rubbing her tiny hands, looked up, "Jane? That wasn't one of the names we were discussing."

"Well, I like it. It suits her."

"Hmm..." James rubbed his chin, "Jane. Yes, I like it too! She looks like a Jane."

"Good, because that's her name." replied Jessie in that 'this-discussion-is-over' tone.

Looking at the large vase of roses, James smiled with the sudden inspiration he felt, "Jane Rose...perfect," letting her grasp his finger he murmured, "Just like her."

As if in approval of her moniker, Jane smiled up at them, Jessie saying with pride, "Of course she is-she's ours after all..."

Abruptly remembering what he said several minutes prior, Jessie looked up, "Wait, why do I have to take it easy? What happened? Well, besides the obvious."

James tapped the call button by her bed as he explained, "Well, I _almost_ passed out...but you actually did..."

 _-Jessie was already feeling light-headed as the doctor held up the sobbing newborn and told them they had a healthy baby girl. James continued to mop her forehead with a cool cloth as the doctor moved to place the baby in her arms and she shakily reached out._

 _"H-hello...little..."_

 _However, no sooner had she held her daughter then the room spun and her world went dark._

 _Seeing her eyes shut as she slumped over, a nurse swiftly grabbed the baby and whisked her away to be cleaned up and checked over as two others and the doctor moved quickly to help her, pushing James out of the way._

 _"Jessie?!" he cried in horror, "What's going on?"_

 _One nurse said calmly to him, "Please don't panic yet. This happens every so often; sometimes the mother, especially a first-time mother, simply passes out from sheer exhaustion or rarely, blood loss..." seeing his panicked expression she added, "But that's not what happened here."_

 _"Is there anything I can do?" he asked helplessly._

 _"Just let us do our job."_

 _A brief couple minutes later, seeing all Jessie's vitals were strong and stable, it was concluded that exhaustion was indeed the cause. She was fitted with an IV to help her recover easier and James was given strict instructions to let her wake up on her own, and then to not let her move around too much until they could check her over again. Soon after they left he was sitting by her bed holding her hand when there was a soft knock at the door. James went to open it and found the same nurse who had taken the baby, only now pushing a small, portable crib into the room. She smiled at him and said quietly before stepping back out, "Here she is! I'll leave you all to get acquainted. Congratulations."_

 _Tears threatening to blur his vision, he blinked them away as he lifted the tiny newborn into his arms and stared at her in awe. She squirmed and whimpered, and James gently rocked her, all the while whispering to her._

 _"Shh! Daddy's got you...don't cry," wanting to cry himself, he looked toward Jessie, "But Mommy should be the one to hold and talk to you first..."_

 _Going back to his chair by her bedside, he positioned himself so the baby was facing Jessie and smiled at his daughter, "There's Mommy! She's just taking a nap. Don't you worry, princess; your mommy is the strongest person I've ever met. She'll be fine. Let me tell you a little bit about her..."_

After Jessie was examined again, she was declared to be in perfect health, but still needed rest. They left to give her that rest, but before they did, James stepped out for a moment to make a phone call.

A couple minutes later, everyone at Three Roses was gathering their things and preparing to leave for the day when Charlie burst out of the office door, waving a phone around and laughing joyfully.

"We have a new crew member everyone! Jane Rose and Jessie are doing just fine!"

It was another full day before Jessie was cleared to head home, despite her frequent protests to be let go sooner. When they arrived, Jessie commented on how quiet the place seemed.

"Are we even open? ...What did that cat do?!" she grumbled.

Reaching for the doorknob, James soothed her with, "Ah, we'll ask when we get in-"

Opening the door, he yelped as a shower of confetti fell upon him coupled with a loud outburst of horns and a cry of, "CONGRATULATIONS!"

James laughed and shook off the worst of the shimmery stuff, picking it out of his hair as he said, "Thanks everyone," then turning to Jessie, put an arm around her shoulders, "But here's the one you should really be congratulating."

A round of soft gasps and 'aww's' was heard as Jessie held up Jane so they could see her a little better.

"She's so tiny and precious!" Rachel gushed, hands over her heart.

"She didn't feel tiny. When you have kids you'll understand." smirked Jessie.

Persian pushed his way forward, "Allllright! Step aside! Uncle comin' through!"

Stepping up to them, the feline regarded the infant curiously, sniffing her. Abruptly, Jane's little fist flew out and hit Persian square on the nose, causing him to jump back and Jessie to burst into laughter.

"That's my girl!"

"This calls for a toast!" declared Marty, pulling a bottle out from under his hat. James caught Jessie's eye and they both shrugged, deciding not to question how long he had had it there.

Though it took some adjustments, things soon settled back to normal-well, as normal as they could be with a newborn around. It was common for people to stop by the main office to 'see if there was anything else to do'. Jessie knew very well they just wanted an excuse to visit Jane and coo over her, which she made quite clear was perfectly fine as long as everything still got done. The mechanics with their filthy, greasy clothes and hands, however, were firmly told to stay at least three feet back, much to their disappointment.

And so the days in this new adventure passed. The new parents learned much and learned it quickly; between feeding schedules, changings and finding ways to soothe the savage beast-or screaming infant in this case-Jessie more than once said the books they had bought and classes they had taken were definitely worth the money. Persian and Wobbuffet became an invaluable help in caring for little Jane; Wobbuffet enjoyed assisting in bath time, which was fortuante, for Persian refused to get anywhere near Jane's enthusiastic splashing. The other staff, especially Charlie, quickly bceame an extended 'family' as well.

One day about three months later, Jessie was typing up an e-mail with one hand and holding Jane with the other, giving her a bemused smile as the infant gleefully chewed on her blanket. Persian was down at the main floor helping with repairs, and James was thumbing through a file cabinet looking for a recent order. He found and plucked out the file he needed just as a knock came at the door. They looked up to see Charlie in the doorway with a slightly bewildered expression.

"Morning Charlie! What is it?" asked Jessie, noting his slightly off demeanor.

The young man gestured to James and said, "Um, there's someone here who wants to see you, James."

"Who is it?" he asked, intrigued.

Charlie shook his head, "I don't know sir…they wouldn't say. Just to come get you and that it was important and they didn't have much time."

James flinched slightly, "Thanks Charlie; I'll check it out. And please...don't call me sir. It makes me feel old...and too much like my father."

"Sorry. I keep forgetting."

Jessie raised her eyebrow, "Well, this is weird," she stood and walked around the side of her desk, "Let's go see what they want."

"Actually Ms. Jessie…" Charlie added, "They also said they wanted to speak to him alone…"

With a scowl and a huff, Jessie said, "Now that's just rude! Anything that-"

James intervened, stepping over to her and kissing her forehead, "Tell you what; it's probably another salesman. We've had a bunch of those lately. I'll tell them to go away and be back in a minute. Besides, you have that e-mail to finish. You said yourself it's very important."

Jane stopped drooling on her blanket to reach out and grab at James's shirt. Grinning, he let her tug at it, "And then there's this little lady!"

Jessie rolled her eyes and relaxed, "Fine, you have a point. Alright, kick them out and get back here-we have a lot of orders to do today."

He turned to walk away with Charlie leading the way, and Jane stretched her tiny arms after him, whining and started to do her 'hiccup-crying'.

Jessie rocked her and chuckled, tickling her nose, "Oh stop that! He'll be right back. Already a daddy's girl, are we?"

Charlie and James made their way down the staircase that led to their office, passing through the main floor and going to a small corner office that was used for interviews and potential clients; they were always looking to add routes and landing points in various locations.

Charlie opened the door and said, "Ma'am? Here he is." then stepped back and walked away, shooting James a thumbs-up and 'good luck' look.

Curious and mildly concerned, James entered the room to find a woman wearing a simple, deep green dress with a matching silk scarf over her hair. Her back was to him and her posture was stiff and formal.

Clearing his throat, he said, "Good morning…I was told you needed to speak to me-and only me? Who are you and what is this all about?"

The woman sighed, her shoulders falling slightly, "Oh, my dear James, if only things were simpler…" she lamented, her voice terribly sad but still proud.

The file James was still holding slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor, it's contents scattering. He stepped back involuntarily, his heart racing, his breath caught in his throat. Icy panic gripped him and a part of him wanted to flee, but the rest was too stunned to move.

The woman didn't have to turn around for him to know who it was. That voice had been more than enough. But turn she did, hands folded neatly in front of her, eyes looking slightly to the side.

"Mother?!" he exclaimed, "What-what the fu-?!"

"James. Language," she said coolly, "Such coarse words are unbecoming. Though I suppose at this juncture, it is a moot point."

Drawing a deep breath to calm his racing thoughts, James asked, "What do you want? How did you even find me?"

"Finding you was simple enough," she replied, fishing a matchbook from her pocket and setting it on the table, "You dropped this at our 'meeting' some time back."

He snatched it up and took a glance. In gold script across it's face was printed 'The Woodruff Hotel, Goldenrod City'. He cursed himself internally.

Sighing, it stuffed it into his own pocket, "Very well. Now, what do you want?"

At that moment, to his horror, Jessie, still holding Jane, poked her head in the doorway, "James? What's taking so long? Can't-"

The tension in the air that followed could have been cut with a knife as the two women stared each other down.

"YOU!" Jessie snarled so furiously it could have put an Ursaring to shame and held Jane tighter against her chest, "What in the hell do you think you're doing here?!"

Jane began to sob loudly, Jessie shifting her attention to her as James rushed to them, talking rapidly with Jessie.

After a few seconds, holding his wife and daughter protectively, he turned around and said firmly, "Mother, I don't know what it is you're here for, but I think it's best you leave."

"Get! Out!" spat Jessie, the pure rage in her voice like venom, "I've seen what you're like you-you _monster!_ "

Cecilia clasped her hands over her heart and cleared her throat, "I understand your animosity towards me, and to be frank, I cannot fault you for it. Please, if you would just give me a moment to explain..."

James found himself, strangely, at a loss. Absolutely everything he had experienced in his life told him to throw her out and change the locks, but looking into her pleading gaze, he found nothing but sincerity and a new, oddly warm sense of...love? Something deep inside told him that she was not a threat, not this time. Despite all his instincts telling him otherwise, he finally relented.

"You have five minutes."

Jessie's mouth fell open, "You're not serious?!"

James reached behind her and closed the office door, whispering to her as he did, "Please...I've never seen her like this. Five minutes and that's it."

Hearing a click behind them, James glanced to see the door swing open again and Persian padded in, "Hey, what's dis I here about some-"

Seeing Cecilia, his fur bristled as his eyes narrowed to slits, "What's she doin' here?!" he hissed.

James raised his hands to try and calm him, reminded of that night in Slateport when that fury had been directed at them, "Persian! Relax! Really. I know it sounds crazy and trust me, it is, but it's okay."

The feline's anger cooled, but his confusion remained, "I tink ya lost yer marbles fer real dis time Jim."

Unmoving from her spot near the door, Jessie's still outraged gaze shifted from him to Cecilia as the woman sat in the chair James had pulled out for her. Instead of sitting himself, James leaned on the the table as hos mother cleared her throat and folded her hands neatly in front of her.

"My sweet James, since we spoke last I looked into some things. Your inheritance is tightly and quite legally locked away under the condition of your marriage to Jessibelle," her eyes flicked to Jessie briefly then back to him, "However, seeing as this clause cannot be met, I am afraid that makes it impossible for you to access it now. I tried reasoning with your father about it. I proposed that perhaps, in light of you having a child, some portion of it could be used for _their_ inheritance. Regretfully, he would not have it."

"I'm not at all surprised." replied James, not hiding the bitter anger in his voice.

She took a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed her eyes, "You may choose to believe me or not, but I honestly did my utmost to sway his opinion. I have no legal claim to make changes to the contract myself, otherwise I would have."

"You couldn't have told us this in a letter?" grumbled Jessie.

"I'm afraid unfortunate news is not the only reason for my visit, dear. I also...I was hoping..." her eyes welled up again, "I could see and hold my grandchild?"

Jessie didn't hesitate in her reply, sputtering, "Are you serious?! I watched with my own eyes as you let that psychotic bitch abuse _your own son!_ And you think I'm going to let you get anywhere near my daughter?!"

Cecilia sat up straighter, her tone calm, "I will not try to apologize or explain away my past behaviors. Such a thing is pointless and you've already made your opinion of me quite clear. You see, my husband does not know I am here. In fact, he expressly forbade it. When and if he discovers I have come anyway..." she turned away with a haunted stare before composing herself and looking back at them, "This is my one and only chance for a long time, if ever, to see her. And so I ask you..from one mother to another...may I please see my sweet granddaughter just this once?"

Jessie stared back at her, and like James, felt a sense of conflict; would it be okay, just for a brief time? Again, her mind went to her own mother...she would never be here, never see Jane or hold her. This woman was a very poor substitute, but shouldn't her child meet at least one of her grandparents?

Reasoning that there was nothing she could do to Jane while she was alone and all three of them were there, hating herself a little, Jessie slowly walked forward. Persian growled softly to her that he'd happily shred 'dat old bat' if she tried anything, and Jessie gratefully patted his head in thanks. James' eyebrow shot up in surprise as she stepped past him and apprehensively stepped up to Cecilia, after a few moments slowly placing Jane in her arms.

Jessie sat right next to them, watching like a Talonflame as she smiled and rocked Jane gently, "Oh, you precious little angel..." she looked up at them, "She has your eyes, James. What is her name?"

James gave a half-smile, "Jane Rose."

After another minute she again spoke, "Did I ever tell you I always wanted two children? A boy and a girl. A perfect matched set. However, after the first few tries I soon realized...maybe that dream was not meant to be. My heart broke every time but I wanted children so badly...I..." her eyes watered as she gazed at James, "You were the only one to live."

He stared back at her, stunned, and despite her hatred of the woman, Jessie felt her heart skip a beat, unable to imagine that pain.

Sniffling away her tears, Cecilia kissed the top of Jane's head before handing her back to Jessie, who was all too happy to take her back. She stood and moved toward the door, pausing as she reached the end of the long table.

"Thank you. I...am glad to see you doing well for yourself and your family. As much as I would have preferred to see you with one of your own standing, I will simply have to accept that fate had other plans."

She removed a couple of rings from her fingers, placing them on the table, then moved her hands to unclasp her ornate necklace, adding it to the pile, "Though I cannot offer any of your inheritance money, I can give you these. Consider them a gift for little Jane's welfare. "

James's mouth fell open, "Mother! These are-! Surely father will notice them missing?"

"I have many others, and no, I don't feel he will notice."

Jessie picked up a large ruby ring and marveled at it, "This rock alone will put her through college."

"Dat gem is twice de size of mine!" said Persian of another dazzling ring.

"In addition to these gifts, I have one more for you James," Cecilia said, removing a scratched-up Pokeball from her pocket and holding it up, "Come out, if you please."

A flash of light morphed into the shape of the creature contained within, and James couldn't believe his eyes as the Pokemon shook himself, then upon spotting him barked and bounded over.

"Growlie!" he cried, dropping to his knees and enveloping the wriggling pup in his arms, laughing as Growlie licked his face, "Oh how I've missed you! What's this about?"

Turning his attention to Jessie, Growlithe stared at her for a few moments, sniffing the air. Ears pricking upwards, his tail wagged and he barked rapidly.

Persian translated, "He says he remembers ya Jess, an' dat a pal a' Jim's is a pal a' his."

"We felt it was high time you took responsibility for your own pet, considering how you have settled down, in a way. We recently acquired a highly-trained pack of Houndour as guards, so Growlithe's presence to 'protect' us, as you wished, is now redundant. Also, I was beginning to fear for his well-being these past couple months. I overheard dear Jessibelle say some things..." said Cecilia.

James' eyes flashed with fury, "Did she try to hurt him?!"

She shook her head, "No, however I had reason to believe she might, which is why I brought him."

"And you wonder why I didn't want to marry her." said James coldly.

"Let us not dwell on things that are obviously in the past, nor part on a sour note. I must leave, I fear I've tarried too long already."

James suddenly felt cold as a dark thought crossed his mind, and he stood, Growlie on his heels as he pulled Jessie and Jane close, "How do we know you're not going to-to try and break us up, or take Jane away, or...?"

Cecilia's shoulders sank very slightly, the weight becoming too much for her pride for a few moments, "I may be a monster, as you say, but do you not think if I had wanted to do such a thing, I would have already? No. You are safe. I will not return again. Farewell, my dear James. Farewell little Jane, and the rest of you as well."

She stepped through the door but paused one more time, "Jessie?" she turned to look at her, "I have no doubt you will take wonderful care of your baby. Can I ask...that you take care of mine as well?"

Jessie nodded, her stern expression unchanging, "I have for a long time."

With that, Cecilia drew herself up again and left, vanishing into the bright sunlight outside. Shaken a little, Jessie held Jane close and glanced at James, who silently held them both, nodding with all the reassurance he could muster. Persian quickly pushed in, standing on his hind legs to join in the group hug as Growlie pressed himself against James' leg, tail still wagging. Giggling, Jane tugged at James' tie again, and he snorted, the tension broken.

"We've got this." said Jessie firmly.

"Of course. We're the best!" James grinned.

"Dat's right!" added Persian, the throw-back only making them laugh more.

Together, they left to continue the day's adventures...


End file.
